Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on maize (Zea mays L.) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) grown in rare earth elements of mine tailings

• G. versiforme significantly promoted the growth of maize and sorghum.
• G. versiforme increased the content of N, P, and K in maize and sorghum.
• AMF significantly decreased the C:N:P stoichiometry of the two plant species.
• AMF had different effects on the heavy metal concentrations in maize and sorghum.
• Maize and sorghum inoculated with AMF showed differences in REE concentrations.

Rare earth elements (REE) of mine tailings have caused various ecological and environmental problems. Revegetation is one of the most cost-effective ways to overcome these problems, but it is difficult for plants to survive in polluted tailings. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can provide biotic and abiotic stress tolerance to its host plant and has widely adopted for the revegetation of degraded ecosystems. However, little is known about whether AMF plays role in facilitating the revegetation of REE of mine tailings. The objective was to investigate the uptake of nutrients and REE when plants are inoculated with AMF. A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted on the effects of Glomus mosseae and Glomus versiforme for the growth, nutritional status, and uptake of REE and heavy metals by maize (Zea mays L.) or sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) grown in REE of mine tailings. The results indicated that symbiotic associations were successfully established between AMF and the two plant species. G. versiforme was more effective than G. mosseae at promoting plant growth by significantly increasing the uptake of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) and decreasing carbon:nitrogen:phosphorus (C:N:P) stoichiometry. The shoot and root dry weights of the two plant species were increased by 211–387% with G. versiforme inoculation. Maize and sorghum exhibited significant differences in the REE concentrations in response to the colonization by AMF. The shoot and root lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), and neodymium (Nd) concentrations of the maize inoculated with G. versiforme were decreased by approximately 70%, whereas those in the roots of sorghum were increased by approximately 70%. G. mosseae only significantly decreased the La, Ce, Pr, and Nd concentrations in the maize shoots. Inoculation with AMF also significantly decreased the concentration of certain heavy metals in the shoots and roots of maize and sorghum. These findings indicate that AMF can alleviate the effects of REE and heavy metal toxicity on plants and enhance the ability of plants to adapt to the composite adversity of REE in mine tailings.