Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in soil and roots respond differently to phosphorus inputs in an intensively managed calcareous agricultural soil.
Understanding the diversity and community structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) is important for potentially optimizing their role in mining phosphorus (P) in agricultural ecosystems. Here, we conduct a comprehensive study to investigate the vertical distribution of AMF in a calcareous field and their temporal structure in maize-roots with fertilizer P application over a three-year period. The results showed that soil available-P response to P fertilization but maize yields did not. Phosphorus fertilization had no-significant effect on richness of AMF except at greater soil-depths. High P-supply reduced root colonization while optimum-P tended to increase colonization and fungal richness on all sampling occasions. Crop phenology might override P-supply in determining the community composition of active root inhabiting fungi. Significant differences in the community structure of soil AMF were observed between the controls and P treatments in surface soil and the community shift was attributable mainly to available-P, N/P and pH. Vertical distribution was related mainly to soil electrical conductivity and Na content. Our results indicate that the structure of AMF community assemblages is correlated with P fertilization, soil depth and crop phenology. Importantly, phosphorus management must be integrated with other agricultural-practices to ensure the sustainability of agricultural production in salinized soils.
Centre for Resources, Environment and Food Security, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University; Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100193, China.|College of Landscape and Art, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China.
Wei
W
Liu
Centre for Resources, Environment and Food Security, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University; Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100193, China.
Yunlong
Y
Zhang
Centre for Resources, Environment and Food Security, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University; Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100193, China.
Shanshan
S
Jiang
Centre for Resources, Environment and Food Security, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University; Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100193, China.
Yan
Y
Deng
Centre for Resources, Environment and Food Security, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University; Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100193, China.
Peter
P
Christie
Sustainable Soil and Grassland Systems, Rothamsted Research, North Wyke, Okehampton, EX20 2SB, UK.
Philip J
PJ
Murray
Centre for Resources, Environment and Food Security, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University; Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100193, China.
Xiaolin
X
Li
Centre for Resources, Environment and Food Security, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University; Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100193, China.
Junling
J
Zhang
D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods; D044822:Biodiversity; D005308:Fertilizers; D005658:Fungi; D056186:Metagenomics; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000145:classification* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010758:Phosphorus; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000382:microbiology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D003313:Zea mays / Q000382:microbiology*
D005308:Fertilizers; D010758:Phosphorus