Impacts of canola-intensification and crop diversification on AM fungal community structure

The widespread use of canola, an assumed non-host plant for arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, combined with its increasing frequency in rotations raises concerns on the impacts of reduced plant diversity on the loss of soil microbial diversity and overall crop productivity. The main objective of this study is to test the impact of crop diversification and canola-intensification in cropping systems on crop productivity, AM fungal diversity and community structure in the roots and in the rhizosphere of each crop.