A Review of Biotechnological Applications of Glomeromycota: Inoculum Production, Plant Performance, Environmental Management, and Metabolites

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomeromycota) offer routes to inoculum production, crop management, phytomanagement of contaminated soils, and modulation of plant metabolites. This critical narrative review integrates 102 selected original studies, including genomic, physiological, transcriptomic, cultivation, and field research. Evidence is interpreted by fungal strain, host genotype, tissue, environment, and application-specific endpoint. Host-lipid transfer and asymbiotic propagation inform inoculum manufacture, but spore production remains distinct from infective potency, storage stability, and economic feasibility. Receptor signaling and functional nutrient-transport studies connect symbiotic establishment to resource exchange; stress experiments reveal context-dependent changes in water transport, ion homeostasis, photosynthesis, and oxidative regulation. Commercial-product variability, resident microbiota, pesticide exposure, and ecological responses constrain translation. Metal localization and transport studies distinguish retention, mobilization, and tolerance from contaminant removal. Plant-metabolite experiments demonstrate chemical modulation rather than direct fungal biosynthesis or therapeutic efficacy. Soil carbon and hydraulic responses further show that ecological benefits cannot be generalized across communities or substrates. Development should prioritize verified inocula, defined host × fungal strain × environment combinations, relevant controls, and repeatable field outcomes. The narrative design and author-proposed assessment framework covers a deployment protocol.