Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi symbiosis on microbial diversity and enzyme activities in the rhizosphere soil of <i>Artemisia annua</i>

Abstract

Abstract We explored the influence of symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on rhizosphere‐soil microecology and its relationship with the artemisinin content in Artemisia annua ( Artemisia annua L.). Three treatment groups were established: A. annua in symbiosis with Funneliformis mosseae , A. annua in symbiosis with Glomus versiforme , and A. annua without AMF symbiosis as a blank control. The nutrient content, pH, microbial density, activity, diversity, and evenness as well as the urease, acid phosphatase, and sucrase activities of A. annua rhizosphere soil and the relative artemisinin content in A. annua in the absence and presence of AMF symbiosis were measured and analyzed at four stages: T1 (rosette stage, 30 d after transplanting), T2 (growth stage, 70 d after transplanting), T3 (mature stage, 90 d after transplanting), and T4 (harvest stage, 120 d after transplanting). The results showed that AMF symbiosis increased the activities of urease, acid phosphatase, and sucrase in the rhizosphere soil of A. annua ; promoted the absorption and utilization of N and P; increased the relative content of artemisinin in the aboveground parts of A. annua ; and improved the utilization of various carbon sources by rhizosphere microorganisms to some extent. In addition, AMF also improved the density, quantity. and diversity of microorganisms in the A. annua rhizosphere. Different AMF had different effects on A. annua . The results showed that AMF symbiosis improved the absorption and utilization of soil nutrients by A. annua and increased its relative artemisinin content. These results may provide a theoretical basis for the production of A. annua .