Mycorrhizal inoculum solutions to reduce nitrate leaching in potato and wheat production

Overview

This research program investigates whether commercially available arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculants can improve crop nitrogen use and reduce nitrate leaching losses in Canadian cropping systems. The work focuses on two mycorrhizal-responsive crops, potato and wheat, and uses canola as a non-mycorrhizal comparison. The underlying premise is that AMF symbiosis, well documented for mobilizing immobile nutrients such as phosphorus and zinc, may also enhance nitrogen uptake and retention in the root zone, thereby limiting nitrate loss to groundwater.

The program is led by a University of Manitoba research team with prior experience evaluating AMF benefits for nutrient acquisition. It is designed as a six-month growth chamber study with potential implications for sustainable nutrient management, environmental protection, and fertilizer cost reduction in potato and wheat production systems.

Technical specifications

Experimental design:

• Three test crops (potato, wheat, canola) grown with and without a commercial AMF inoculant product
• Randomized complete block design with four replicates
• Lysimeters used to capture and sample the soil solution for leaching analysis

Measured parameters:

• Soil nitrate and ammonium concentrations
• Nitrate leaching losses in the soil solution
• Root colonization rate by AMF
• Crop aboveground biomass
• Crop nitrogen uptake

Hypotheses under test:

• Potato and wheat receiving AMF inoculum will produce more biomass, take up more nitrogen, and leach less nitrate than uninoculated controls
• Canola, being non-mycorrhizal, will not show these benefits
• Potato, with its shallow root system, will show the strongest response to inoculation

Facilities:

• Growth chamber and laboratory facilities available at the University of Manitoba
• A summer student researcher will execute the study over six months

Technology readiness level

This is an early-stage, hypothesis-driven research study at Technology Readiness Level 1 to 2 (basic research and concept validation). The work will generate baseline data on crop response to commercial AMF inoculants under controlled conditions, with outputs intended for publication and follow-up field-scale validation. The team is actively seeking an industry partner to supply mycorrhizal inoculum products and to provide funding for sample analysis and student stipend support.