Influence of an Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus on Competition for Phosphorus Between Sweet Orange and a Leguminous Herb

Abstract

(2005). Influence of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus on competition for phosphorus between sweet orange and a leguminous herb. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 28 (12) ABSTRACTGrass or herb intercropping with trees is widely practiced as an orchard-floor management strategy, but nutrient competition from grass species can inhibit the growth of intercropped fruit trees. Two experiments were conducted to investigate whether inoculation with the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus Glomus versiforme can alleviate such competition and thus promote the growth of intercropped fruit trees by increasing soil nutrient exploitation. In the first experiment, intercropping was established in rhizoboxes containing sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) and the leguminous herb Stylosanthes gracilis inoculated with the AM fungus. Mycorrhizal inoculation did not appear to decrease competition, but increased the biomass of the herb much more than that of sweet orange. Inoculation had little effect on phosphorus (P) content of sweet orange, but significantly increased that of the legume roots. The AM fungal contribution to P uptake of the herb was twice that of sweet orange. Lateral roots of the herb tended to branch horizontally, with a large proportion entering the soil volume occupied by sweet orange; AM inoculation enhanced this effect. In Experiment 2, growth of the plants in monoculture revealed that the mycorrhizal dependency of the legume was much higher than that of sweet orange. It is suggested that mycorrhizal dependency can have a large influence on the role of the AM fungus in mediating competition in an intercropping system, and that fruit trees with high mycorrhizal dependency, together with a grass or herb with low mycorrhizal dependency, may be the optimum intercrop combination in orchards.

An invasive plant experiences greater benefits of root morphology from enhancing nutrient competition associated with arbuscular mycorrhizae in karst soil than a native plant

“…Researches have shown that AM fungi can promote growth and change the traits of plant roots, thereby helping plants absorb more mineral elements from the soil PLOS ONE [27,28]. For instance, AM fungi can significantly enhance the total root length and volume of tea plants [29], and can markedly improve the P acquisition of the leguminous herb roots and invasive species [30,31]. Yang et al (2014) [32] believed that AM fungi directly affect the utilization efficiency of nutrients of competing for the root system, and cause different plants to have asymmetric competition trends.…”

The effect of trees on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and nutrient acquisition of grassland plant communities in three temperate silvopastoral systems

“…Considering that AMF are known to increase plant P uptake, especially in P-limited conditions (García & Mendoza, 2008;Huang et al, 2020;Sylvia et al, 2001;Yao et al, 2005), we had hypothesised that AMF biomass would be positively correlated with P uptake and concentrations. Instead, we found no signi cant correlation between AMF biomass and P uptake (Fig.…”

“…In this way, they play a crucial role in plant nutrient acquisition (Barea et al, 2005; Battie-Laclau et al, 2020; Watts-Williams, 2022). Most notably, AMF have been shown to improve nitrogen (N) uptake and N use e ciency in plants (Veresoglou et al, 2012), and their role in increasing plant phosphorus (P) uptake, particularly under P-limited conditions, is well documented (García & Mendoza, 2008;Sylvia et al, 2001;Yao et al, 2005;Zhang et al, 2021). AMF may also store these nutrients in structures called vesicles (Corcoz et al, 2022).…”

Mycorrhiza-improved P acquisition of host plants: A mini-review

“…The effect of AMF on root architecture is associated with two paths: (1) the root biomass, root surface area, and total root length are increased significantly after AMF inoculation, e.g. Stylosanthes guianensias and Ceratonia siliqua [13][14]; (2) AMF significantly promoted the occurrence of lateral roots and the spatial distribution of roots in the soil. For example, AMF inoculation dramatically elevated the number of lateral roots in grape [15], litchi [16], and rice [17].…”