Enhancement of sorghum grain yield and nutrition: A role for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi regardless of soil phosphorus availability

Societal Impact Statement Sorghum is an important cereal crop that provides calories and nutrients for much of the world's population, it often grown with low fertiliser input. Optimising yield, nutritive content bioavailability sorghum grain minimal input importance human nutrition, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi have previously shown potential to assist in this. Across genetic diversity, AM improved nutrition zinc iron a phosphorus soil. Thus, food production systems effectively manage may improve consumer outcomes. Summary C4 source across world, predominantly cultivated consumed low- middle-income countries. can be highly colonised by fungi, plant-fungal association lead improvements biomass nutrient uptake. High-throughput phenotyping allows us non-destructively interrogate ‘hidden’ effects on growth phenology. Eight genetically diverse genotypes were soil amended 2 or 20 mg P kg−1 inoculated fungal culture Rhizophagus irregularis. uncovered phenology, while biomass, Zn Fe root colonisation was determined after destructive harvest. plants generally performed better than non-AM control plants, greater harvest indices, P, contents. During early stages, led temporary depressions. There also fertilisation time-of-flowering. The genotype highest could barely produce when non-inoculated. two failed mature had very colonisation. Generally, responsive produced more quality colonised, without adverse consequences micronutrient bioavailability.