Application of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in strawberry seedling raising-transplanting system: Dual goals of root system enhancement and fruit yield improvement

Abstract

Addressing two key challenges in northern solar greenhouse strawberry production—weak seedling root function and uneven growth from greenhouse spatial heterogeneity—this study examined regulatory effects of inoculating strawberry seedlings with varying arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) concentrations and transplanting them to south, middle, north greenhouse locations. Results showed that: (1) AMF inoculation, particularly the high-concentration treatment (AMF-1440), significantly enhanced root activity and root weight, with maximum increases of 171.4% and 58.2%, respectively; (2) Significant spatial heterogeneity existed within the greenhouse, with plants in the northern position exhibiting superior root traits, SPAD values, fruit weight per fruit, and marketable yield compared to those in the southern position; (3) The yield-enhancing effect of AMF was spatially dependent, showing a higher increase rate in fruit weight per fruit in the northern position (23.9%) than in the southern position (16.6%); (4) Path analysis indicated that AMF drives yield formation through the pathway of “enhancing root activity —maintaining leaf photosynthetic capacity (SPAD)—increasing fruit weight per fruit.” This study demonstrates that AMF inoculation acts as a potential biological measure for enhancing strawberry root function and improving marketable yield, while its efficacy is constrained by low-temperature induced spatial heterogeneity within the greenhouse. A tentative approach for achieving relatively balanced yield increases in the tested system involves combining AMF application with zonal environmental management of solar greenhouses.