Diversity of Glomeromycota in orchards of Persea americana Mill. with different agronomic management in Xalisco, Nayarit, Mexico

Abigail Balderas-Alba, Paúl Alán Báez-Astorga, Ignacio E. Maldonado-Mendoza, Gabriela R. Peña-Sandoval, Rocío Vega-Frutis

Abstract


Background. Avocado (Persea americana) is a fruit crop of economic importance to Mexican agriculture which is experiencing increasing global demand. Consequently, the cultivated area and the use of chemical fertilizers have expanded. Agrochemicals can negatively affect soil health and reduce both the infectivity and effectiveness of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Moreover, the composition of the AMF species may shift, favoring species adapted to high-disturbance conditions (ruderal strategy). Objective. To estimate the richness and abundance of AMF virtual taxa (VT, a proxy for “species”) in two avocado orchards differing in soil management practices. Methodology. Soil samples were collected from two orchards: Orchard 1 without agricultural management and, Orchard 2 with agricultural management. The soil was used to increase AMF propagules in trap plants and for physicochemical analyses. DNA was extracted from root segments and soil spores obtained from trap plants. Next, nested PCR using specific primers to amplify the Glomeromycota phylum was performed, then amplicons of ITS rDNA fragments were purified and sequencing in the Illumina MiSeq (2x300) platform. Results. A total of 29 virtual taxa were identified, 10 of which were resolved to species level, while the remaining fungal types belong to eight genera. 10 VT were shared between Orchards, six were exclusive to Orchard 1, and 13 to Orchard 2. However, in Orchard 1, 98.33% of the relative abundance was concentrated in only four VT, while in Orchard 2, three VT (98.51%) were dominated. Although richness (q = 0) was higher in Orchard 2 than in Orchard 1, the diversity indices of order 1 (q = 1) and 2 (q = 2) indicated no significant differences between orchards. Implications. This study suggests that agrochemicals may act as an environmental filter on AMF community assembly, favoring species with a ruderal strategy that translocate fewer nutrients to host plants. Additionally, new AMF species were recorded for Nayarit (Dominikia difficilevidera, Microkamienskia divaricate, and Orientoglomus emiratium). Conclusion. The use of agrochemicals alters the composition and abundance of AMF. Furthermore, molecular tools allowed us to increase the number of AMF species recorded in Nayarit.

Keywords


abundance; avocado; richness; virtual taxa. abundancia; aguacate; riqueza; taxa virtuales.

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References


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URN: http://www.revista.ccba.uady.mx/urn:ISSN:1870-0462-tsaes.v29i1.66063

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.56369/tsaes.6606

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Copyright (c) 2026 Abigail Balderas-Alba, Paúl Alán Báez-Astorga, Ignacio E. Maldonado-Mendoza, Gabriela R. Peña-Sandoval, Rocío Vega-Frutis

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