title: Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation on carbon and nitrogen distribution and grain yield and nutritional quality in rice (Oryza sativa L.).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The importance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) for nutrient uptake and growth in rice has been widely recognized. However, little is known about the distribution of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in rice under AMF inoculation, which can affect grain yield and quality. This study was conducted to investigate the distribution of C and N within rice plants under AMF inoculation and the effects on grain yield and quality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AMF inoculation significantly increased N accumulation and distribution in vegetative tissues at tillering, and N translocation into seeds from heading to maturity. Consequently, AMF inoculation more strongly impacted the distribution of N than that of C in seeds, with significantly reduced C:N ratios and increased protein content (by 7.4%). Additionally, AMF inoculation significantly increased grain yield by 28.2% through increasing the grain:straw ratio by 18.4%. In addition, the roots of inoculated rice exhibited greater change in C distribution, with significantly higher C concentrations, C accumulations, and C:N ratios at tillering and maturity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AMF inoculation affected the distribution of N in seeds and C in roots. As such, AMF inoculation may be a potential method for improving grain yield and quality. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, People's Republic of China.|HIT Yixing Academy of Environmental Protection, Yixing, 214200, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jixian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: HIT Yixing Academy of Environmental Protection, Yixing, 214200, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Su
mesh_terms: D059827:Agricultural Inoculants / Q000502:physiology*; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005658:Fungi / Q000502:physiology*; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000502:physiology*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D012275:Oryza / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D012988:Soil Microbiology
chemical_list: D002244:Carbon; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: C and N distribution; arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; grain nutritional quality; grain yield; rice