Prospects for the use of microbial products with arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi and Trichoderma fungi for the Russian agriculture under moisture deficiency

The current review has considered the possibilities of using microbial products based on arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) fungi and Trichoderma (Tr) fungi to improve the resistance of the Russian agricultural crops to a moisture deficiency stress. The fungi groups discussed here have demonstrated similar beneficial effects on plants, promoting their growth, improving resistance to abiotic and biotic factors, and mineral nutrition. Particular attention has been paid to the differences in the mechanisms of arbuscular mycorrhiza and Trichoderma, as well as their potential combined use as microbial products. There has been shown that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi provide long-term effects due to deep integration with the plant, while Trichoderma fungi are characterized by a more rapid response to stress conditions and relative simplicity of cultivation, making them accessible for effective use. There have been considered challenges of introducing microbial products into agricultural practices, including potential antagonism between components, technological difficulties, and the difficulty of using them in combination with fungicides. There has been shown that Trichoderma fungi and arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi improve plant growth efficiency and productivity when used together, particularly for broccoli and maize. At the same time, the mechanisms of such interactions remain incompletely studied. There has been concluded that developments in this area are of great promise, and that it is necessary to develop microbial consortia resistant to the extreme temperatures and moisture deficits found in the southern regions of European Russia.

1. Vasil’chenko S. A., Metlina G. V., Yurkov A. P., Laktionov Yu. V. Sravnitel’naya otsenka primeneniya sovremennykh biopreparatov FGBNU VNIISKhM na produktivnost’ kukuruzy i sorgo zernovogo v usloviyakh yuzhnoi prirodnosel’skokhozyaistvennoi zony Rostovskoi oblasti. [Comparative assessment of the use of modern bioproducts from the FSBSI All-Russian Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology on maize and grain sorghum productivity in the southern natural agricultural part of the Rostov Region ]// Zernovoe Khozyaistvo Rossii. 2025. T. 17. № 4. S. 77–83. DOI: 10.31367/2079-8725-2025-99-4-77-83

2. Donskaya M. V, Donskoi M. M. Ispol’zovanie mikrobiologicheskikh preparatov pri vozdelyvanii perspektivnykh sortov nuta i chiny v Orlovskoi oblasti [The use of microbiological products in the cultivation of promising chickpea and vetch varieties in the Oryol region]// 2023. DOI: 10.24412/2309-348X-2023-1-33-39

3. Isaev O. I. Povyshenie vodoobespechennosti zasushlivykh regionov v usloviyakh izmeneniya klimata [Water availability increase in arid regions under climate change] // Voprosy stepevedeniya. 2025. T. 1, S. 25–34. DOI: 10.24412/2712- 8628-2025-1-25-34

4. Kudryashova T. R., Kryukov A. A., Gorenkova A. I., Yurkov A. P. Akvaporiny i ikh rol’ v rastitel’no-mikrobnykh sistemakh [Aquaporins and their role in plant-microbial systems] // Vavilovskii Zhurnal Genetiki I Selektsii. 2025. T. 29, № 2. S. 238–247. DOI: 10.18699/vjgb-25-27

5. Braga A. F., Santos L. D. C., Mendes S. P. D. S. C., Pires F. A., Geraldine A. M., Ferreira Junior W. N. Interaction between Trichoderma asperellum and Bacillus spp. in the biological control of disease in the soya bean // Rev. Ciênc. AGRONÔMICA. 2025. Т. 56, С. 1–9. DOI: 10.5935/1806-6690.20250041

6. Cheng S., Zou Y.-N., Kuča K., Hashem A., Abd_Allah E. F., Wu Q.-S. Elucidating the Mechanisms Underlying Enhanced Drought Tolerance in Plants Mediated by Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi // Front. Microbiol. 2021. Vol. 12, S. 809473. DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.809473

7. De Jaeger N., Declerck S., De La Providencia I. E. Mycoparasitism of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: a pathway for the entry of saprotrophic fungi into roots: Mycoparasitism of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi // FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. 2010. С. no-no. DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6941.2010.00903.x.

8. Eftekhari F., Sarcheshmehpour M., Lohrasbi-Nejad A., Boroomand N. Effects of mycorrhizal and Trichoderma treatment on enhancing maize tolerance to salinity and drought stress, through metabolic and enzymatic evaluation // BMC Plant Biol. 2025. Vol. 25, № 1. S. 687. DOI: 10.1186/s12870-025-06729-x.

9. Green H., Larsen J., Olsson P. A., Jensen D. F., Jakobsen I. Suppression of the Biocontrol Agent Trichoderma harzianum by Mycelium of the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus Glomus intraradices in Root-Free Soil // Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 1999. Vol. 65, № 4. S. 1428–1434. DOI: 10.1128/AEM.65.4.1428-1434.1999

10. Harman G. E., Uphoff N. Symbiotic Root-Endophytic Soil Microbes Improve Crop Productivity and Provide Environmental Benefits // Scientifica. 2019. Vol. 2019, S. 1–25. DOI: 10.1155/2019/9106395

11. Igiehon N. O., Babalola O. O. Biofertilizers and sustainable agriculture: exploring arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi // Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 2017. Vol. 101, № 12. S. 4871–4881. DOI: 10.1007/s00253-017-8344-z

12. Martínez-Medina A., Roldán A., Albacete A., Pascual J. A. The interaction with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi or Trichoderma harzianum alters the shoot hormonal profile in melon plants // Phytochemistry. 2011. Vol. 72, № 2–3. S. 223–229. DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2010.11.008

13. Metwally A. A., Riad G. S., Ghoname A. A., El-Sawy S. M., Salama D. S., Alkhawaga L., Shahin M. G., Saudy H. S., et al. Physiological defensive modes to biologically induce drought tolerance in broccoli via inoculation with mycorrhiza and Trichoderma // BMC Plant Biol. 2025. Vol. 25, № 1. S. 934. DOI: 10.1186/s12870-025-06956-2

14. Poudel M., Mendes R., Costa L. A. S., Bueno C. G., Meng Y., Folimonova S. Y., Garrett K. A., Martins S. J. The Role of Plant-Associated Bacteria, Fungi, and Viruses in Drought Stress Mitigation // Front. Microbiol. 2021. Vol. 12, S. 743512. DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.743512

15. Rousseaeu A., Benhamou N., Chat I., Piché Y. Mycoparasitism of the extramatical phase of Glomus intraradices by Trichoderma harzianum. // Phytopathology. 1996. Vol. 86, № 5. S. 434–443

16. Szczałba M., Kopta T., Gąstoł M., Sękara A. Comprehensive insight into arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Trichoderma spp. and plant multilevel interactions with emphasis on biostimulation of horticultural crops // J. Appl. Microbiol. 2019. Vol. 127, № 3. S. 630–647. DOI: 10.1111/jam.14247

17. Zenteno-Alegría C. O., Yarzábal Rodríguez L. A., Ciancas Jiménez J., Álvarez Gutiérrez P. E., Gunde-Cimerman N., Batista-García R. A. Fungi beyond limits: The agricultural promise of extremophiles // Microb. Biotechnol. 2024. Vol. 17, № 3. С. e14439. DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14439

18. Zhang K., Sun M., Feng H., Wei X., Xie W., Fu W., Guo L., Zhang X., et al. Synergistic Effects of Rhizophagus irregularis and Trichoderma harzianum Co-Inoculation on Enhancing Drought Tolerance and Secondary Metabolite Production in Licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) // J. Fungi. 2025. Vol. 11, № 7. S. 488. DOI: 10.3390/jof11070488.