Bitki Gelişiminde Mikoriza Uygulamaları

Abstract

With the rapid increase in the world population, a significant increase in global food demand is expected. However, due to the threat of future drought and the limited availability of new agricultural land, meeting this demand appears to be possible only through increased productivity in existing cultivation areas. This situation has heightened the need for yield-oriented cultural practices such as expanding irrigation capacity and the widespread use of chemical fertilizers, in addition to conventional breeding efforts. Although the intensive and long-term use of chemical fertilizers contributes to short-term yield increases, it adversely affects soil health by reducing microbial diversity and weakening plant–microorganism interactions. Therefore, within the framework of sustainable agricultural practices, the development of environmentally friendly alternative approaches that can reduce dependency on chemical inputs has become increasingly important. Microbial fertilizers have drawn attention in this context, and among them, mycorrhizal fungi stand out as important bio-inputs that support plant growth. Mycorrhiza is defined as a mutualistic symbiotic relationship between plant roots and soil fungi. Mycorrhizal fungi enhance nutrient uptake efficiency through their extensive hyphal networks, which increase root surface area and facilitate the transport of essential nutrients—particularly phosphorus, as well as zinc, iron, potassium, and nitrogen. Moreover, by strengthening the microbial balance within the mycorrhizosphere, they promote plant growth, suppress pathogenic organisms, and enhance plant tolerance to stress conditions. This review evaluates the morphological, physiological, and microbial effects of mycorrhizal applications on plant development in light of recent findings in the scientific literature.