Final Report Summary - COLLIAM (Possible Stimulation by Mycophagous Collimonas Bacteria of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Functioning) The aim of the project was to gain insights on how Collimonas bacteria interact with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in order to use them as a consortium of plant beneficial microorganisms in sustainable agriculture. The results from two in vitro experiments demonstrated two of our first initial hypothesis, namely the mycophagy ability of Collimonas bacteria on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and the capacity of Collimonas bacteria to solubilize phosphorous in soil. In a microcosm experiment, we have shown for the first time that the external mycelium of AM fungi increases the growth of Collimonas bacteria up to ten times comparing to the control treatments without mycorrhiza. From these important findings we can conclude that the interaction between both microorganisms is positive as the AM fungi provide a beneficial environment for Collimonas bacteria to grow. These important facts reveal new tools in biocontrol and organic agriculture, namely the application of Collimonas bacteria and AM fungi as a consortium of plant beneficial microorganisms.
