Unraveling the Mysteries of Mycorrhiza-Plant Interactions: Mechanisms of Protection and Ecological Factors Influencing Symbioses

Mycorrhizal fungi are root symbionts that embrace many benefits to the associated plant host. Protecting plants from devastating plant pathogens and pests like fungi, bacteria, and nematodes is among the numerous significant attributes besides plant health and yield ameliorations. The protection that mycorrhiza holds for their hosts extended to cover a large number of economic crops worldwide that possess the possibility of using it as a potential bio-protector. However, in order to maximize the efficacy of mycorrhizal application, the mechanism implicated behind protection and factors that affect mycorrhizal symbioses should be well examined. Several mechanisms and factors have been proposed to explain this protective relationship. Most of them are either conditional or case specific. Most plants rely on several mechanisms at the same time. In this chapter, we go over the main mechanisms reported to involve in mycorrhizal host protection against fungal, bacterial, and nematode diseases. Spotting the light on the main ecological factors that affect the outcome of mycorrhiza interaction with hosts has also been taken into consideration.