Arbuscular mycorrhizal influences on growth, nutrient uptake, and use efficiency of Miscanthus sacchariflorus growing on nutrient-deficient river bank soil

• Role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in river bank vegetation development.
• Arbuscular mycorrhizal association with growth of Miscanthus sacchariflorus.
• Effects of AMF on nutrient uptake, and use efficiency of Miscanthus sacchariflorus.
• AMF for nutrient loss minimization in nutrient-limited sand bar vegetation growth.
• AMF for vegetation growth in nutrient-limited aquatic–terrestrial inter-faces.

The potential effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on growth, nutrient assimilation, and inoculation effectiveness of AMF on the pioneer plant Miscanthus sacchariflorus which is dominant in river banks were evaluated. A pot experiment was performed in a greenhouse at Saitama University, Japan. Spores of AMF strains were collected from the commercial product ‘Serakinkon’. The average colonization level of M. sacchariflorus was 23–28%, whereas no colonization was found in sterilized soil. AMF colonization increased the chlorophyll content, plant dry mass, N, P, K, Mg, Fe, Cu, and Zn concentration of the M. sacchariflorus plant’s roots, stems, and leaves when it was applied with natural and sterilized soil. In all cases, maximum values were measured when the M. sacchariflorus plant was applied with natural soil in combination with AMF, but Ca concentration decreased as colonization level increased. Mn concentration decreased in roots and stems but increased in leaves in natural soil, and AMF with natural soil treatment. N loss minimization from the soil was significant when colonization level was high. Therefore, AMF have some potential effects for growth of the C4 grass Miscanthus sacchariflorus and nitrogen retention in aquatic–terrestrial inter-faces (river banks).