Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) contribute to the sequestration of soil organic carbon (SOC) by glomalin production through their hyphal network which helps to bind soil aggregates and improve other physical and biological properties of soil. The current study was aimed to assess (i) AMF biomass, glomalin related protein (GRP), SOC stocks and soil quality parameters such as microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and β-glucosidase activity, and (ii) to find out whether GRP production and PLFA C16:1ω5 can be used as consistent indicators of soil quality across seven different rhizosphere soil niches such as zero-tillage with Cenchrus ciliaris and minimum-tillage with Chloris barbata; conventional tillage with soybean-wheat system from soybean rhizosphere and raised beds with four mycorrhizal host plants (Fenugreek, maize, marigold and sorghum). Among all the soil niches, AMF biomass, the content of SOC, MBC, soil and root GRP, the activity of β-glucosidase were significantly higher under zero tillage. The AMF biomass, SOC-sequestration and soil quality parameters established a common trend across all the soil management systems and hosts examined. PLFA C16:1ω5 was positively correlated with microscopic estimates of AMF biomass, MBC, β-glucosidase activity and both the fractions of total (T) GRP (the easily extractable and difficulty extractable) in soil and roots. A significant positive correlation of both the fractions of soil-GRP with MBC (r = 0.78**, 0.83**) and β-glucosidase activity (r = 0.86**, 0.76**) was also found. In general, soil T-GRP (r = 0.93**), soil T-GRP stocks (0.94**) and PLFA C16:1ω5 (r = 0.68**) were highly related to SOC stocks. These findings confirm that zero tillage and raised beds favour AMF activity thus improving SOC sequestration potential and soil quality which can be assessed using GRP and PLFA C16:1ω5 as potential indicators.

丛枝菌根真菌（AMF）通过其菌丝网络，通过gloomalin的生产有助于隔离土壤有机碳（SOC），有助于结合土壤聚集体并改善土壤的其他物理和生物学特性。当前的研究旨在评估（i）AMF生物量，gloomalin相关蛋白（GRP），SOC储量和土壤质量参数，例如微生物生物量碳（MBC）和β-葡萄糖苷酶活性，以及​​（ii）查明是否产生GRP PLFA C16：1ω5和PLFA C16：1ω5可以用作七个不同根际土壤生态位的土壤质量的一致指标，例如使用Cenchrus ciliaris的零耕法和使用Chloris barbata的最低耕作法; 大豆根际的大豆-小麦系统的常规耕作，以及带有四个菌根寄主植物（葫芦巴，玉米，万寿菊和高粱）的高架床。在零耕条件下，土壤生态位，AMF生物量，SOC，MBC含量，土壤和根系GRP含量，β-葡萄糖苷酶活性均显着较高。AMF的生物量，SOC固存和土壤质量参数在所有土壤管理系统和接受调查的宿主之间建立了共同趋势。PLFA C16：1ω5与土壤和根中AMF生物量，MBC，β-葡萄糖苷酶活性以及总（T）GRP分数（易提取和难提取）的微观估计值呈正相关。还发现土壤GRP组分与MBC（r = 0.78 **，0.83 **）和β-葡萄糖苷酶活性（r = 0.86 **，0.76 **）均呈显着正相关。通常，土壤T-GRP（r = 0.93 **），土壤T-GRP储量（0.94 **）和PLFA C16：1ω5（r = 0.68 **）与SOC储量高度相关。这些发现证实零耕作和高架床有利于AMF的活动，从而提高了SOC螯合潜力和土壤质量，可以使用GRP和PLFA C16：1ω5作为潜在指标进行评估。