Silver nanoparticles deteriorate the mutual interaction between maize (Zea mays L.) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: a soil microcosm study

Abstract The effects of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on plants and soil microbial communities have been widely documented. However, the influence of AgNPs on plant growth and rhizospheric microbial communities, especially the important symbiotic microbes, such as arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, remains under debate. In this study, a greenhouse pot experiment was established to investigate the responses of maize ( Zea mays L.) growth and rhizospheric AM fungal assemblages to different application levels (0.025, 0.25 and 2.5 mg kg −1 ) of AgNPs or bulk Ag. The results indicated that 2.5 mg kg −1 of AgNPs significantly decreased ( p p p