The Role of Symbiotic Fungi in Nutri-Farms

Small holder farms comprise about 78% of the entire country’s agricultural system. These farms are very important for Indian economy, as it produces around 41% of the country’s total food grain production. The Indian government and different agricultural institutes have started taking initiatives to convert these farms into nutrition farms, by growing biofortified varieties. Nutri-farms are supposed to be an important link in order to bridge the wide gap between agriculture and nutrition. However, the use of biofortified varieties can be further assisted with various other biofortification techniques, such as use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to enhance agricultural output on a broader spectrum. AMF form symbiotic association with the majority of the cultivated crops and play an important role in improving plant nutrition, abiotic and biotic stress tolerance and soil fertility. Incorporation of AMF as bio-fertilizers can help farmers to support a cost-effective and sustainable agriculture.