Native Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Characterization from Saline Lands in Arid Oases, Northwest China

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonize land plants in almost every ecosystem, evenin extreme conditions, such as saline soils. In the present work, we report the mycorrhizal capacity ofrhizosphere soils collected in the dry desert region of the Minqin Oasis, located in the northwest ofChina (Gansu province), which is characterized by several halophytes. Lycium spp. and Peganumnigellastrum were used as trap plants in a greenhouse experiment to identify autochthonous AMFassociated with the halophytes' rhizospheres. Morphological observations showed the typical AMFstructures inside roots. Twenty-six molecularly distinct AMF taxa were recovered from soil androot DNA. The taxonomical diversity mirrors the several AMF adapted to extreme environmentalconditions, such as the saline soil of central China. Knowledge of the AMF associated with halophytesmay contribute to select specific fungal isolates to set up agriculture strategies for protectingnon-halophyte crop plants in saline soils.