Possibilities for breeding to improve responsiveness to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in onion

Summary

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play an important role in the uptake of nutrients and water from soil. However, some crops, for example onion, Allium cepa L., have a poorly developed root system. As a result, onion plants need a lot of fertiliser for growth, and they are sensitive to drought. The aim of this project is to study the beneficial effects of mycorrhizal fungi on the growth and development of Allium species and to determine whether it is possible to improve onions for mycorrhizal responsiveness by breeding. Variation among Allium species indicated that selection and thus breeding for high responsiveness to AMF is possible. Two years of experiments with genotypes of a population segregating for mycorrhiza responsiveness indicated that increase in dry matter may be a more reliable trait than responsiveness.