The importance of the plants, fungi and bacteria network in maintaining sustainable plant production

The global demographic explosion triggers an alarming situation of food demand. This implies sustainable plant production through the rational and healthy use of long-term soils. This can only happen by reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides since they have toxic effects on the health of the soil and the ecosystem in general. However, to maintain plant production, it is essential to seek other more effective and sustainable alternatives. Soil harbors a panoply of interactions between the major players in the rhizosphere, mycorrhizal fungi and plant growth-promoting bacteria, which improve plant growth, health and development. These beneficial interactions lead to additive and/or synergistic effects which translate positively into the sustainable production of agrosystems and stop the use of products with toxic effects on the ecosystem. In return to nature, for better resistance to biotic and abiotic stress, and efficient absorption of water and nutrients; the majority of terrestrial plants are forced to associate with mycorrhizal fungi. As a result, mycorrhizae have attracted more attention, but unfortunately, apart from bacteria which represent the third component of mycorrhizal associations. The rare studies on this subject show the close association between mycorrhizal fungi and the associated bacterial flora. These latest advances should change our way of seeing mycorrhizal symbioses and redefine mycorrhizae as tripartite associations. Therefore, it is necessary to expand research on the understanding of plant-fungus-bacteria interactions and the use of this tripartite association as bioinoculants to improve plant production; in order to meet the increasing demand for nutrients. The importance of the third bacterial partner comes from the fact that these prokaryotic microorganisms are associated with symbiotic fungi during the different stages of their life cycle. They colonize mycorrhizal roots, extraradical hyphae, sporocarps and also live in the fungal cytoplasm as endobacteria. However, those identified as endobacteria should be given more importance, despite the difficulty that they are not culturable outside of their hosts. Because these endobacteria are widespread in mycorrhizal fungi, 10 out of 11 Gigasporaceae isolates contain endobacteria. Also, are themselves obligatory symbionts of plants, thus proving the direct link between the fungus and the plant. In general, the rhizospheric bacterial flora are responsible for multiple