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Abstract

Drought stress, salinity, nutrient deficiency and desertification are major factors that cause reduction in the productivity of ecosystems and plant growth in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. Panicum turgidum Forssk. is a perennial halophytic grass found essentially throughout the desert of the Arabian-peninsula and northern Africa which is ecologically important in desert rangelands for soil-stabilization, forage production and ecosystem resilience. AM fungi have an ecological relationship that is devoted to a mutualistic relationship on about 80-90% of the terrestrial flora with the capacity to benefit the plant significantly in nutrient uptake, water uptake, antioxidant defense and regulation of stress responsive physiological processes, and to increase the tolerance of the plants to abiotic stresses. This review aimed to summarize the knowledge about the ecological, physiological, biochemical and molecular mechanisms of how AM fungi can improve the drought resistance of Panicum turgidum in arid environments. Special emphasis on the AMF mediated increase in water use efficiency, root architecture, osmotic regulation, antioxidant defense systems, phytohormonal signaling and rhizosphere interaction. The importance of AMF in desert ecosystem stability, aggregation, nutrient cycling and desertification was also discussed. Further, some applications of AMF-based technologies for restoring rangelands sustainably and managing land for climate change resilience under the framework of AMF are put forward. Although significant advances have been made, there are still significant gaps in the knowledge concerning long-term studies on the desert AM fungi, molecular characterization of the desert AM community, and the effects of climate change on AM symbiosis. Overall, the use of Panicum turgidum together with native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi seems to be a promising ecological approach for increasing the drought resistance of environments, establishing degraded rangelands, and optimizing their management in dry and arid lands

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