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This article has been peer reviewed and accepted for publication. It is in production and has not been edited, so may differ from the final published form.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi alleviate the pathogenic stress on the invasive weed Alternanthera philoxeroides

Shanshan Qi, Yu Zhang, Mengting Yan, Misbah Naz, Francis Nkansah 0000-0003-1167-8282, Zhiyun Huang, Hu Anhe Xiong, Zhi-Cong Dai 0000-0002-0748-8059, Daolin Du

Abstract

Context. Invasive plants have caused huge damages in ecosystems. The “Enemy Release Hypothesis” proposes that invasive plants often escape from their natural enemies including pathogens. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play important roles in plant growth. However, the importance of AMF in pathogenic stress on invasive plants were rarely studied. Aims. In this study, the effects of AMF (Claroideoglomus etunicatum) on the resistance to pathogenic fungus Rhizoctonia solani of an invasive plant Alternanthera philoxeroides were examined in a two months greenhouse experiment. A greenhouse experiment with four treatments (with/without AMF inoculation × with/ without pathogen infection) was conducted. Key results. Our results showed that the AMF colonization rates increased significantly in the presence of pathogen. AMF significantly promoted stem length, spacer length, and leaf area of A. philoxeroides. The pathogen R. solani negatively impacted plant growth, including above-ground biomass and root characteristics. However, AMF inoculation mitigated these negative effects caused by the pathogenic fungi. AMF significantly promoted the above-ground growth and decreased the root/shoot ratio to help resist pathogen. Conclusions. These findings indicate that AMF can enhance A. philoxeroides resistance to pathogenic stress, potentially contributing to its invasive success. Implications. This study provides insights into the interactions between invasive plants, beneficial fungi, and pathogens, which may have implications for understanding and managing plant invasions. Disrupting the AMF symbiosis might improve the control efficiency of invasive plants.

SR25040  Accepted 05 August 2025

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