Review of patents for agricultural use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Mycorrhizal biotechnology has emerged as a major component of sustainable agriculture and allied activities. Innovations related to its role in agriculture, land reclamation, forestry, and landscaping are well recognized. This review presents the evolution of innovations worldwide related to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in the past two decades, from 2000 to April 2020, and maintains that such innovations must continue in the future. An analysis of 696 patents showed that AMF have been used consistently as a biofertilizer and bioremediator over that period, although an upsurge was noted in propagation technologies, next-generation production methods, and formulation technologies. This review will familiarize mycorrhizologists with novel and evolving trends and will convince them of the importance of applying for patents to safeguard their innovations and the use of those innovations by industry.