Medicinal Plant Research 2024, Vol.14, No.4, 234-244 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/mpr 241 6.3 Disease control in high-density cultivation of Dendrobium officinale D. officinale is prone to significant economic losses under high-density cultivation due to biotic (e.g., fungal diseases) and abiotic (e.g., drought) stresses. Research has shown that mycorrhizal fungi can form symbiotic relationships with orchid species, enhancing nutrient absorption and stress resistance, making them a promising means of improving D. officinale yield (Zhang et al., 2020; Li et al., 2021a; Shan et al., 2021). A study investigated the growth-promoting and stress-resistance-enhancing effects of mycorrhizal fungi derived from orchid species on D. officinale. Four mycorrhizal fungi isolated from orchids (GDB254, MLX102, GS222, GDB162) were used in trials, demonstrating that these fungi significantly promoted D. officinale growth, increasing fresh weight, chlorophyll content, and polysaccharide accumulation (Li et al., 2021a) (Figure 5). Additionally, under drought and pathogen stress, D. officinale inoculated with mycorrhizal fungi exhibited higher survival rates and resistance, markedly reducing root rot incidence. Notably, MLX102 displayed the strongest disease resistance, effectively suppressing root rot caused by Fusarium solani and Fusarium graminearum. Furthermore, mycorrhizal fungi showed a competitive advantage when coexisting with pathogenic fungi, reducing the infection risk in D. officinale by inhibiting pathogen growth. This study provides new strategies for artificial cultivation of D. officinale, demonstrating that mycorrhizal fungi can enhance plant growth and reduce disease losses in agricultural production through increased stress tolerance, supporting sustainable medicinal plant cultivation. Figure 5 Mycorrhizal fungi promote the growth of tissue culture seedlings of Dendrobium officinale (Adopted from Li et al., 2021a) Image caption: GDB254, MLX102, GS222, and GDB162 were inoculated into D. officinale seedlings for 60 days and were associated with increased weight acquisition compared to that in the control group (CK) (Adopted from Li et al., 2021a) 7 Challenges and Limitations in Cultivation 7.1 Common challenges inDendrobium officinale cultivation Cultivating D. officinale presents several challenges primarily due to its specific environmental requirements and susceptibility to various stresses. One of the major challenges is the plant's sensitivity to ecological factors such as humidity, temperature, and soil composition, which significantly affect its medicinal quality (Yuan et al., 2020). Additionally, D. officinale is prone to both biotic and abiotic stresses, including drought and root rot caused by pathogens like Fusarium solani and Fusarium graminearum, which can lead to significant production losses (Li et al., 2021a). Cao et al. (2022) reported stem rot disease in D. officinale in the Wenzhou region of Zhejiang, primarily caused by Fusarium kyushuense, with an incidence rate as high as 30%. The slow growth rate and scarcity of wild populations further complicate cultivation efforts, necessitating intensified cultivation practices. 7.2 Limitations of current cultivation practices Current cultivation practices for D. officinale are limited by several factors. Traditional methods often fail to provide the precise environmental control needed for optimal growth, leading to variations in plant quality and
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