**Abstract**

According to estimates, the world's population is growing at 0.96% yearly, meaning that there will be approximately 7.3 billion people on earth by the year 2050. Consequently, the agricultural sector is demanded to boost production and provide food security for the rising world's population. Unfortunately, almost 40% of the arable land has been damaged by several factors, such as industrialization, suburbanization, acidification, salinization, and erosion of the soil, environmental pollution, among others, resulting in a global agricultural and economical problem. However, several land recovery techniques have been developed over many years of research, such as the use of chemicals, cultural techniques, and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF). AMF forms a vital connection with the host plants and the soil nutrients and assists in the restoration of damaged agricultural lands. This reviews' objective includes (i) providing a brief overview of AMF; (ii) highlighting AMF's role in nutrient management; (iii) reviewing the roles of AMF in the regulation of plant (cassava) development; (iv) explaining the role of AMF in managing abiotic and biotic stressors; (vi) emphasizing the role of AMF in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and (vi) highlighting significant areas within the study of AMF-cassava that has not yet been completely explored.

**Keywords:** arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, beneficial soil microorganisms, cassava, soil nutrients, sustainable agriculture, nutrient-loss/uptake, abiotic/biotic stressors

### **1. Introduction**

A symbiotic relationship between the root of the host plant and the fungi and spreads into the rhizosphere and the surrounding soil is known as mycorrhiza [1]. Mycorrhizal symbiosis has developed into a specialized area since Frank first used the term 136 years ago [2]. The scientific community aims to understand its characteristics and ramifications for both plants and fungi and other microorganisms like bacteria [1]. Mycorrhizae are now recognized as a type of "biological fertilization", mostly because of their presence in almost all healthy plant roots [3]. Biofertilization has been presented as the bio-sustainable substitute for chemical fertilization, because of its variety of possible benefits, including fertilizing the host plants with nutrients, protection from biotic (pathogens), abiotic (drought, unfavorable temperature, amongst others) [1, 3].

Mycorrhiza, as a crucial functional group of the soil biota, provides various nutrients and aids the host plant in battling against unfavorable soil conditions (for instance, in drought settings it aids in increasing the surface of the roots) [4]. Endomycorrhizal fungi and ectomycorrhizal fungi are two different forms of mycorrhizal fungi that form a root biotrophic relationship [5]. In contrast to ectomycorrhizal fungi, which develop around the surrounding root cells, endomycorrhizal fungi colonize the root cells of plants [5].

#### **Figure 1.**

*An illustration of the potential for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal colonization in managing soil–plant nutrients, biotic stressors, abiotic stressors, and reduction of greenhouse emissions.*

*Recent Advances in Plant: Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Associations and Their Application… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.108100*

AMF has been reported to be present in 80% of terrestrial plant species, including economically important crops like wheat, tomatoes, cassava, etc. [6]. Cassava is a crucial staple crop that produces starch-rich, tuberous roots, especially in sub-Saharan African smallholder farming systems [7]. Partly due to its resilience to drought, it has earned the title "drought', 'war', and famine' crop" [8]. Although cassava yield decreases noticeably during dry seasons, its relationship with and reliance on AMF may be partially responsible for its relatively strong resistance to drought [9]. Approximately 80% of angiosperms have connections made by AMF with their roots and exchange carbon molecules for water and vital nutrients including phosphorus and nitrogen for the host plant [10]. Additionally, they give increased resistance to both biotic and abiotic stressors [9, 10].

There are reports that AMF plays a significant role in improving cassava productivity [8–10]. Hence, cassava growers could considerably benefit from this technique because cassava is a crop that relies heavily on mycorrhizal fungi for the extraction of nutrients. On the symbiotic interaction between AMF and cassava, the most recent research trends were covered in this review. In addition, we examined several recent studies and extrapolated findings to improve the uses, advantages (**Figure 1**), and limitations of using AMF in cassava cultivation. The objective of this review is to highlight recent discoveries in a plant-AMF relationship that are associated with cassava crop production. This will contribute to developing a lasting solution to the global problem associated with poor quality and quantity in cassava production, hence solving the problem of hunger and poverty globally, especially in Southern Africa.
