Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis as sustainable alternative in the Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni production: Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis as a sustainable alternative in the production of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni

Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni is a crop that meets the current demand for natural sweeteners, this demand requires a sustainable production of the crop, due to the inclusion of its steviol glycosides or active ingredients in the food and pharmaceutical sector. Modern agriculture involves the integrated use of widely proven natural resources such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. These microorganisms perform a symbiotic association with 80% of terrestrial plants and provide multiple benefits. They are able to enhance the productivity of a crop both directly and indirectly through the translocation of mineral nutrients from the soil solution, especially phosphorus. As a sustainable production alternative for S. rebaudiana, they provide an improvement in nutritional status resulting in higher biomass production and glycoside concentration, fundamental parameters for yield. They stimulate plant resistance to biotic and abiotic stress factors and act as soil improvers. It should be noted that the mutualistic fungus-plant association is approximately 400 million years old, yet it is only in recent years that interest in this interaction has been awakened. Although arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are an exploitable natural resource, the communities are threatened by biotic factors such as interaction with other microorganisms and abiotic factors involving poor agricultural practicesStevia rebaudiana Bertoni is a crop that meets the current demand for natural sweeteners, this demand requires a sustainable production of the crop, due to the inclusion of its steviol glycosides or active ingredients in the food and pharmaceutical sector. Modern agriculture involves the integrated use of widely proven natural resources such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. These microorganisms perform a symbiotic association with 80% of terrestrial plants and provide multiple benefits. They are able to enhance the productivity of a crop both directly and indirectly through the translocation of mineral nutrients from the soil solution, especially phosphorus. As a sustainable production alternative for S. rebaudiana, they provide an improvement in nutritional status resulting in higher biomass production and glycoside concentration, fundamental parameters for yield. They stimulate plant resistance to biotic and abiotic stress factors and act as soil improvers. It should be noted that the mutualistic fungus-plant association is approximately 400 million years old, yet it is only in recent years that interest in this interaction has been awakened. Although arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are an exploitable natural resource, the communities are threatened by biotic factors such as interaction with other microorganisms and abiotic factors involving poor agricultural practicesStevia rebaudiana Bertoni is a crop that meets the current demand for natural sweeteners, this demand requires a sustainable production of the crop, due to the inclusion of its steviol glycosides or active ingredients in the food and pharmaceutical sector. Modern agriculture involves the integrated use of widely proven natural resources such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. These microorganisms perform a symbiotic association with 80% of terrestrial plants and provide multiple benefits. They are able to enhance the productivity of a crop both directly and indirectly through the translocation of mineral nutrients from the soil solution, especially phosphorus. As a sustainable production alternative for S. rebaudiana, they provide an improvement in nutritional status resulting in higher biomass production and glycoside concentration, fundamental parameters for yield. They stimulate plant resistance to biotic and abiotic stress factors and act as soil improvers. It should be noted that the mutualistic fungus-plant association is approximately 400 million years old, yet it is only in recent years that interest in this interaction has been awakened. Although arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are an exploitable natural resource, the communities are threatened by biotic factors such as interaction with other microorganisms and abiotic factors involving poor agricultural practices.L Objective: Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni is a crop that can meet the demand for natural sweeteners; however, this demand requires a sustainable production, as a result of the inclusion of its steviol glycosides or active ingredients in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Design/methodology/approach: Modern agriculture implies the integrated use of valid natural resources, such as the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). These microorganisms establish a symbiotic relationship with, at least, 80% of the plants, to which they provide multiple benefits. They can directly and indirectly improve crop productivity, through nutrient (particularly, phosphorus) translocation of the soil solution. Results: As a sustainable alternative for the production of S. rebaudiana, they improve its nutritional state, resulting in a higher biomass production and glycoside concentration —fundamental yield parameters. Additionally, they promote resistance to biotic and abiotic stress factors and improve soil quality. Limitations/implications: It is worth mentioning that this fungi-plant mutualism is approximately 400 million years-old; however, it has only aroused interest during the last few years. Findings/conclusions: Although arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are an exploitable resource, their communities are threatened by biotic factors —such as the interaction with other microorganisms— and abiotic factors —which involve bad agricultural practices