**Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Response on Soil Phosphorus Utilization and Enzymes Activities in Aerobic Rice under Phosphorus-Deficient Conditions**

**Debasis Mitra 1,2, Periyasamy Panneerselvam 2,\*, Ansuman Senapati 2, Parameswaran Chidambaranathan 2, Amaresh Kumar Nayak <sup>2</sup> and Pradeep Kumar Das Mohapatra 1,\***


**Abstract:** The prominence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in sustainable rice production has long been recognized. However, there is little information about AMF response in aerobic rice cultivation under phosphorus (P)-deficient conditions. The aim of this experiment was to compare and determine the preeminent AMF effects on rice mycorrhizal colonization, responsiveness, P utilization, and different growth-promoting traits under P-deficient conditions. Different AMF genera *viz*. (*Funneliformis* sp., *Rhizophagus* sp., *Glomus* sp., *Acaulospora* sp., and *Claroideoglomus* sp.) in four different aerobic rice varieties developed by ICAR-NRRI, India (CR Dhan 201, CR Dhan 204, CR Dhan 205, and CR Dhan 207) were investigated using the check P-susceptible variety (IR 36) and the P-tolerant variety (Kasalath IC459373). Data analyzed through linear modeling approaches and bivariate associations found that AMF colonization was highly correlated with soil enzymes, particularly fluorescein diacetate (FDA) and plant P uptake. The microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and FDA content were significantly changed among rice varieties treated with AMF compared to uninoculated control. Out of four different rice varieties, CR Dhan 207 inoculated with AMF showed higher plant P uptake compared to other varieties. In all the rice varieties, AMF colonization had higher correlation coefficients with soil enzymes (FDA), MBC, and plant P uptake than uninoculated control. The present study indicates that AMF intervention in aerobic rice cultivation under Pdeficient conditions significantly increased plant P uptake, soil enzymes activities and plant growth promotion. Thus, the information gathered from this study will help us to develop a viable AMF package for sustainable aerobic rice cultivation.

**Keywords:** arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; aerobic rice; soil enzymes; phosphorus utilization; P-deficient; plant growth promotion
