**3. Mycorrhizal association**

*Mycorrhizal Fungi - Utilization in Agriculture and Forestry*

**2. Sustainable agricultural system and its benefits**

techniques and quality of a farmer's life [9].

and natural environment (**Figure 1**) [12–14].

metabolic pathways in plants.

considerable attention in forestry and agriculture. Therefore, AM fungi are commonly known as bio-fertilizers. Moreover, these natural root symbionts help their host plants to grow vigorously under stressful conditions like drought, salinity, metals, and extreme temperatures. The mechanism behind is a series of complex communication events between the plant and the fungus that lead to increased photosynthetic rate and increased water uptake [5–7]. The AM fungi also assists in the regulation of

The best agricultural system is the one that find a good balance between the need for food production and the preservation of the ecological system within the environment. Also, the agriculture that focuses on producing long-term crops and livestock with minimum adverse effects on the environment is called as sustainable agriculture [8]. Besides the production of food, some of the various objectives of sustainable agriculture include reducing the use of fertilizers and pesticides, promoting biodiversity in crops grown and the ecosystem, and conserving water. It also aimed at maintaining the economic stability of farms and improving farming

The various benefits of sustainable agriculture can be divided into human health benefits and environmental benefits. Regarding human health, crops grown through sustainable agriculture are better for people. People are not becoming ill by consuming synthetic materials present in chemical pesticides and fertilizers. In addition, these crops are also more nutritious because of their more natural production. Its positive impacts of the environment include use of less percentage of energy per unit of crop yield as compared to industrialized agriculture [10, 11]. This minimizes the release of harmful chemicals and thereby reduces pollution of environment. Other benefits to the environment are maintenance of soil quality, reduction in soil degradation and erosion, and saving water. It also increases biodiversity of the area by providing a variety of organisms surrounded with a healthy

**20**

**Figure 1.**

*Benefits of sustainable agriculture*

The symbiotic association between a fungus and a root of higher plant is called as Mycorrhiza [15]. From this association, both of the partners, the host plant and the fungal member are benefited potentially [16]. There are several benefits provided by the Mycorrhizal fungi to the host plant species. Some of them are increased nutrient uptake, production of growth promoting substances, tolerance to drought, salinity and synergistic interactions with other beneficial microorganisms [17, 18].
