Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation on plant growth, root morphology, and interspecific interactions in a ginger-pepper intercropping system

Abstract

In this study, we aimed to investigate the regulatory role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in interspecific interactions in a ginger–pepper intercropping system, using the ginger cultivar ‘Luoping Yellow Ginger’ and the pepper cultivar ‘King 336’ as plant materials. A two-factor pot experiment was conducted involving monoculture versus intercropping and AMF inoculation with Funneliformis mosseae. The results revealed that the mycorrhizal colonization rate was significantly higher in ginger (96.6%) than in pepper (45.0%). AMF inoculation increased the total biomass of ginger in the monoculture by 49.8% and enhanced the dry weight of pepper fruits. However, under intercropping conditions, AMF inoculation did not significantly enhance system productivity, as land equivalent ratio (LER) values (1.03–1.08) did not differ from those of non-inoculated controls (P > 0.05). Instead, AMF inoculation caused a decrease in the partial LER (PLER) of ginger from 0.34 to 0.29 (P < 0.05), whereas the PLER of pepper remained stable at 0.74. Morphologically, AMF promoted root branching and elongation in ginger, while in pepper it induced root thickening and modulated shoot architecture by increasing stem diameter and reducing plant height, leading to a more compact growth habit. Consistent with our hypothesis that AMF would differentially affect the two species and that stronger morphological responses would not necessarily confer competitive advantage, these results demonstrate that AMF does not provide synergistic benefits to this system and that its ecological function is highly dependent on crop combinations. Therefore, its application requires a precise evaluation of interspecific interactions.

Keywords

arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi / intercropping / biomass / interspecific competition / land equivalent ratio

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