title: Increased soil phosphorus availability induced by faba bean root exudation stimulates root growth and phosphorus uptake in neighbouring maize.
abstract: Root growth is influenced by soil nutrients and neighbouring plants, but how these two drivers affect root interactions and regulate plant growth dynamics is poorly understood. Here, interactions between the roots of maize (Zea mays) and faba bean (Vicia faba) are characterized. Maize was grown alone (maize) or with maize (maize/maize) or faba bean (maize/faba bean) as competitors under five levels of phosphorus (P) supply, and with homogeneous or heterogeneous P distribution. Maize had longer root length and greater shoot biomass and P content when grown with faba bean than with maize. At each P supply rate, faba bean had a smaller root system than maize but greater exudation of citrate and acid phosphatase, suggesting a greater capacity to mobilize P in the rhizosphere. Heterogeneous P availability enhanced the root-length density of maize but not faba bean. Maize root proliferation in the P-rich patches was associated with increased shoot P uptake. Increased P availability by localized P application or by the presence of faba bean exudation stimulated root morphological plasticity and increased shoot growth in maize in the maize/faba bean mixture, suggesting that root interactions of neighbouring plants can be modified by increased P availability.
authors: Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Department of Plant Nutrition, Ministry of Education, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
authors: Deshan
authors: D
authors: Zhang
authors: Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Department of Plant Nutrition, Ministry of Education, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
authors: Chaochun
authors: C
authors: Zhang
authors: Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Department of Plant Nutrition, Ministry of Education, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
authors: Xiaoyan
authors: X
authors: Tang
authors: Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Department of Plant Nutrition, Ministry of Education, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
authors: Haigang
authors: H
authors: Li
authors: Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Department of Plant Nutrition, Ministry of Education, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
authors: Fusuo
authors: F
authors: Zhang
authors: Soil Science & Plant Nutrition, School of Earth and Environment, The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.
authors: Zed
authors: Z
authors: Rengel
authors: Rothamsted Research, West Common, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK.
authors: William R
authors: WR
authors: Whalley
authors: Lancaster Environment Centre, University of Lancaster, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK.
authors: William J
authors: WJ
authors: Davies
authors: Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Department of Plant Nutrition, Ministry of Education, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
authors: Jianbo
authors: J
authors: Shen
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods; D001682:Biological Availability; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D053147:Plant Exudates / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000254:growth & development*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D031307:Vicia faba / Q000502:physiology*; D003313:Zea mays / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D053147:Plant Exudates; D012987:Soil; D010758:Phosphorus
keywords: Vicia faba (faba bean); Zea mays (maize); heterogeneous phosphorus supply; phosphorus (P) uptake; rhizosphere processes; root interactions