Diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in an arid region in northern Mexico

Arid zones represent a very high percentage of the world's agricultural land, crops are increasingly exposed to stressful conditions, mainly water deficiency and high solar radiation. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) provide several benefits for plants including improved nutrient acquisition, water absorption and stress resistance. However, plant-AMF interactions are significantly influenced by environmental variables and plant species; the dynamics of AMF populations living in arid zones is not yet clearly understood. This project is focused on the molecular characterization of AMF communities of five economically relevant crops (onion, walnut, pepper, alfalfa and maize) grown in arid zones of the State of Chihuahua in Mexico, in order to investigate the effect of arid climatic conditions on the diversity of AMF communities. DNA was extracted and amplified (LSU-D2 rDNA region) from root and rhizosphere soil samples, libraries were constructed and sequenced using the MiSeq Illumina system. Understanding of AMF communities is essential to maintain microbial symbiosis and preserve beneficial effects on plants grown under environmental stress.