Molecular diversity of Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) associated with selected South African indigenous legumes

South Africa is marked by acidic soils with very low nutrient concentrations, particularly phosphorus (Barnard and du Preez, 2004; Hawkins et al., 2005). That notwithstanding, the country is characterized by a high diversity of indigenous legumes, which are widely distributed in different biomes (Trytsman et al., 2011). Under these soil nutrient-deficient conditions, it is envisaged that AMF are likely to play a vital role in the nutrition and adaptation of indigenous legumes to this environment. However, there is no known study conducted to establish the identity and diversity of indigenous AMF communities associated with these plants in their native range. Thus, acknowledging the benefits AMF could have on these plants, knowledge about the composition and diversity of indigenous AMF both in the roots and rhizosphere soils of these legumes are needed to fully understand the ecological functions of AMF in this region, and how their potential benefits can be harnessed for various applications. To address these knowledge gaps, this study is aimed at providing an exhaustive characterization of the structure and diversity of AMF communities present in roots and rhizosphere soils of selected indigenous legumes growing in two distinct provinces of South Africa using molecular (Illumina Miseq) sequencing approaches.