Potential use of indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to improve soil productivity in tailing of tin mining: a greenhouse study scale

Tin mining is as a critical factor destroying ecosystems and challenging for reclamation. Indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are well-known for assisting plants growing in harsh environments. This study aimed to (1) isolate indigenous AMF; (2) screen AMF for nutrient uptake and plant biomass; (3) investigate the screened AMF in supporting plant growing in tin tailing. Soils were collected from natural forest and post-tin mining in Bangka.Wet sieving was conducted to obtain spore of AMF. Collected AMF were propagated and screened for phosphorus uptake and plant biomass of tested Sorghum bicolor growing in sterilized sand at greenhouse. Eight best-screened AMF was evaluated using Piper nigrum growing in sterilized tin tailing+10 compost at greenhouse. The new leaf number, phosphorus uptake, and flowering emergence were measured. Trap culture obtained 16 Acaulospora sp., 1 Glomus sp., and 1 Scutelospora sp, in post-tin mining, and 9 Acaulospora sp. in natural forest. Screening of AMF resulted in higher shoot P uptake and biomass than controls. Application of screened AMF on tin-talling showed that four AMF had higher new leaf number, phosphorus uptake, and flower emergence of P. nigrum. These results imply that selected indigenous AMF are potential for future land productivity of post-tin mining area. © 2023 Institute of Physics Publishing. All rights reserved.