ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Symbiotic Interactions
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1598272
This article is part of the Research TopicAdvancing Mycorrhizal Research for Sustainable Ecosystem and Agricultural PracticesView all 6 articles
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi symbiosis enhances growth, nutrient uptake, and oil quality in sunflower-pumpkin under intercropping systems
Provisionally accepted
Aisha A M Alayafi1Basmah M Alharbi2Awatif M Abdulmajeed2Taghreed S Alnusaire3Ayshah Aysh Alrashidi4
Basmah Alharbi5Hanan Khalaf Anazi5Suliman M S Alghanem6
OMAR ALZOUBI7
Mona H Soliman2*- 1College of Science, Jeddah University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- 2Department of Biology, College of Science, Taibah University, Medina, Saudi Arabia
- 3Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Jouf University, Sakaka, Saudi Arabia
- 4College of Applied Medical Science, University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia
- 5Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
- 6College of Science, Qassim University, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia
- 7College of Science, Taibah University, Yanbu, Saudi Arabia
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This study evaluated the effects of Funneliformis mosseae, an arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus, on nutrient uptake, biomass production, and oil quality in sunflower (Helianthus annuus) and pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) under both sole and intercropping field systems. A factorial experimental design was conducted over two growing seasons (2023 and 2024), involving three cropping systems: sunflower monoculture, pumpkin monoculture, and additive sunflowerpumpkin intercropping. Each system was assessed with and without AM inoculation to determine the interactive effects of mycorrhizal symbiosis and cropping pattern. AM inoculation significantly improved root colonization, especially in intercropped pumpkins, and enhanced key plant growth parameters, including chlorophyll content, plant height, leaf number, biomass, and reproductive traits. The highest performance was recorded in AM-treated intercropped systems for both crops.Seed weight increased notably under AM inoculation, reflecting improved reproductive development. Analysis of mineral nutrient content revealed substantial improvements in macroand micronutrient uptake with AM symbiosis. Intercropped AM-treated plants showed enhanced levels of phosphorus, potassium, calcium, zinc, and iron compared to their non-mycorrhizal counterparts. Additionally, AM treatments led to a marked improvement in oil yield and quality.In particular, AM-inoculated sunflower and pumpkin seeds exhibited higher total oil content and a favorable shift in fatty acid composition, characterized by increased oleic acid and reduced linoleic acid concentrations. These findings highlight the synergistic potential of integrating AM fungal inoculation with intercropping practices to enhance crop productivity, nutrient use efficiency, and oilseed quality. The results support the adoption of AM fungi as a sustainable biofertilizer strategy in modern agroecosystems.
Keywords: Arbuscular mycorrhiza colonization, cropping systems, Cucurbita pepo, Helianthus annuus, nutrient uptake, Seed oil quality
Received: 22 Mar 2025; Accepted: 26 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Alayafi, Alharbi, Abdulmajeed, Alnusaire, Alrashidi, Alharbi, Khalaf Anazi, Alghanem, ALZOUBI and Soliman. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Mona H Soliman, Department of Biology, College of Science, Taibah University, Medina, Saudi Arabia
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