Symbiotic interactions between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and male papaya plants: Its status, role and implications

► The ability of the male C. papaya plants to secrete root phosphatases and its arbuscular mycorrhizal status has been compared under same growth conditions. ► Investigations were carried on four dioecious male C. papaya varieties at four different flowering stages and such a study on male C. papaya plants under field conditions is first of its kind in the world. ► In the present study, mean total root colonization of AM fungi recorded peak increase in flowering stage-II while mean root phosphatase (acid and alkaline) activities recorded peak increase in flowering stage-I. ► However root colonization of AM fungi influenced root phosphatase activities (acid and alkaline) positively and significantly at each flowering stages of male C. papaya plants. ► AM fungi aid in plant uptake of mineralized P by influencing activity of root phosphatase which is shown by elucidating positive relationship between root colonization of AM fungi and root phosphatase activities and that these parameters responsible for P-uptake vary with different varieties of male C. papaya plants at each flowering stage under field conditions.