VIEW ARTICLE

VA Mycorrhizae and PIant Disease Research

Interaction Between VesicuIar-Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Pathogens. H. W. Dehne, lnstitut fur Pflanzenkrankheiten and Pflanzenschutz, University of Hannover, D 3000 Hannover 2 1, West Germany. Phytopathology 72:1115-1119. Copyright 1982 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-72-1115.

The benefit of endotrophic, vesicular-arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizae in the nutrition and development of host plants is well known / 19,23,27,38). Many reports also indicate an interaction between VA rnycorrhizal fungi and plant pathogenic organisms (3 1,32,35,38). The interpretation of these results, however, is not as easy as the interpretation of nutritional effects. To evaluate the influence of VA mycerrhizal fungi on disease incidence and development, the variable factors, plant pathogen, symbiotic fungus, and environmental conditions have to be considered. Mostly, the interactions between pathogen and symbiont are mediated by the host. The characterization of these interactions should, therefore, include information on the mechanisms involved. This review is an attempt to evaluate and summarize most of the research results obtained during the last two decades. Generalization will be unavoidable and therefore the risk of oversimplification must be considered. For a better understanding of the possible influence of VA mycorrhizae on plant pathogens. disease incidence, and on the symbiosis under practical conditions, some recent results will be presented in more detail.