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The high value of black truffle recompenses the slow growth of the fungus when established in the field. Adding a secondary crop, such as medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs), could further enhance the sustainability of truffle production agro-forest systems. The dual cultures of ectomycorrhizal truffle-oak seedlings and MAPs (lavender, thyme, and sage) previously inoculated and non-inoculated with native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), were established to evaluate plant–fungi relationships. After 12 months in a shadehouse, plants’ growth, mycorrhizal colonization, and extraradical soil mycelium (both of Tuber melanosporum and AMF) were measured. Overall, truffle-oaks’ growth was negatively affected by the presence of MAPs, especially when inoculated with AMF. In turn, the presence of truffle-oaks barely affected the co-cultured MAPs, and only lavenders showed a significant growth reduction. All AMF-inoculated MAPs showed higher shoot and root biomass than non-inoculated ones. Compared to truffle-oaks growing alone, the presence of co-cultured MAPs, especially when they were AMF-inoculated, significantly decreased both the ectomycorrhizas and soil mycelium of T. melanosporum. These results reveal the strong competition between AMF and T. melanosporum and warn about the need for the protection of intercropping plants and their associated symbiotic fungi to avoid reciprocal counterproductive effects in mixed truffle-oak–AMF–MAP plantations.

A greenhouse experiment was established with loquat plants to investigate the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in the control of the white root rot fungus Armillaria mellea and to determine the changes produced in the plant metabolome. Plants inoculated with two AMF, Rhizoglomus irregulare and a native AMF isolate from loquat soils, were infected with Armillaria. Although mycorrhization failed to control the Armillaria root infection, the increased growth of infected plants following inoculation with the native mycorrhizal isolate suggests an initial tolerance towards Armillaria. Overall, metabolomics allowed highlighting the molecular basis of the improved plant growth in the presence of Armillaria following AMF colonization. In this regard, a wide and diverse metabolic response was involved in the initial tolerance to the pathogen. The AMF‐mediated elicitation altered the hormone balance and modulated the production of reactive oxygen species (mainly via the reduction of chlorophyll intermediates), possibly interfering with the reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling cascade. A complex modulation of fucose, ADP‐glucose and UDP‐glucose, as well as the down‐accumulation of lipids and fatty acids, were observed in Armillaria‐infected plants following AMF colonization. Nonetheless, secondary metabolites directly involved in plant defense, such as DIMBOA and conjugated isoflavone phytoalexins, were also involved in the AMF‐mediated plant response to infection.

Eighteen Prunus rootstock cultivars were inoculated with three arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi under greenhouse conditions in order to evaluate their affinity for mycorrhizal colonization. The rootstocks were peach-almond hybrids, peaches, plums and cherries of Spanish, French and Italian origin. Mycorrhizal colonization was low in plants inoculated with Glomus mosseae (Nicol. and Gerd.) Gerdemann and Trappe, and Glomus etunicatum Becker and Gerdemann. In contrast, Glomus intraradices Schenck and Smith, proved to be the most infective endophyte, achieving the highest mycorrhizal colonization rate in most of the rootstocks evaluated. Species of Prunus insititia L. were the only botanical group to show a consistently high affinity for mycorrhizal colonization with G. intraradices.

Two trials involving 20 Prunus rootstocks were conducted under greenhouse conditions to screen for resistance to root-knot nematode [Meloidogyne javanica (Treub.) Chitwood]. Many of the tested materials are interspecific hybrid rootstocks and represent new commercial peach (P. persica Batsch) and plum (Prunus sp.) releases or experimental genotypes of Spanish, French, and Italian origin. In the first trial, the rootstocks Adesoto tat (P. insititia L.), Bruce (P. salicina Lindl. x P. angustifolia Marsh.), Ishtara, AC-952 (P. insititia), Garnem [P. dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb X P. persica], Cadaman [P. persica X P. davidiana (Cart.) Franch], and Orotava (P. salicina) were immune or resistant to a mixture of 10 isolates of M. javanica. The remaining rootstocks, Myrocal (P. cerasifera Ehr.), Montclar (P. persica), and Adafuel (P. dulcis x P. persica), were susceptible. In the second screening trial, the plum rootstocks Adesoto 101, Adara (P. cerasifera), Myro-10 (P. cerasifera), Constanti (P. domestica L.), and AD 105 (P. insititia) were immune to the root-knot nematode. Cadaman, G x N No. 17 (P. dulcis x P. persica), and Tetra (P. domestica) were resistant. Laroda F1OP (P. salicina), Myro-almond (P. cerasifera x P. dulcis), and the peach-almond hybrids Mayor, Adafuel, and Sirio were susceptible.