Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Alleviate Low Phosphorus Stress in Maize Genotypes with Contrasting Root Systems

Liyan Liang; Baoxing Liu; Di Huang; Qiqiang Kuang; Tingting An; Shuo Liu; Runjin Liu; Bingcheng Xu; Suiqi Zhang; Xiping Deng; Andrew Macrae; Yinglong Chen

doi:10.3390/plants11223105

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Alleviate Low Phosphorus Stress in Maize Genotypes with Contrasting Root Systems

Plants (Basel). 2022 Nov 15;11(22):3105. doi: 10.3390/plants11223105.

Authors

Liyan Liang^{1

2}, Baoxing Liu^{1

2}, Di Huang^{1

2}, Qiqiang Kuang^{1

3}, Tingting An^{1

2}, Shuo Liu^{1

3}, Runjin Liu⁴, Bingcheng Xu¹, Suiqi Zhang¹, Xiping Deng¹, Andrew Macrae^{5

6}, Yinglong Chen^{1

7}

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China.
² College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China.
³ College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China.
⁴ Institute of Mycorrhizal Biotechnology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China.
⁵ Programa Pós-Graduação de Biotecnologia Vegetal e Bioprocessos da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Prof. Rodolpho Paulo Rocco, s/n-Prédio do CCS-Bloco K, 2° Andar-Sala 032, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil.
⁶ Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Prof. Rodolpho Paulo Rocco, s/n-Prédio do CCS-Bloco I, 1° Andar-Sala 047, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil.
⁷ The UWA Institute of Agriculture, School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth 6009, Australia.

Abstract

Soil available phosphorus (P) is one of the main factors limiting plant growth and yield. This study aimed to determine the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in P-use efficiency in two maize genotypes with contrasting root systems in response to low P stress. Maize genotypes small-rooted Shengrui 999 and large-rooted Zhongke 11 were grown in rhizoboxes that were inoculated with or without AMF (Funneliformis mosseae) under low P (no added P) or optimal P (200 mg kg^-1) for 53 days. Low P stress significantly inhibited shoot and root growth, photosynthesis, tissue P content, and root P concentration in both genotypes. Shengrui 999 was more tolerant to P stress with less reduction of these traits compared to Zhongke 11. Shengrui 999 had a higher AMF infection rate than Zhongke 11 at both P levels. Under P deficit, inoculation with AMF significantly promoted plant growth and P uptake in both genotypes with more profound effects seen in Zhongke 11, whilst Shengrui 999 was more dependent on AMF under optimal P. Low P stress inhibited the growth and physiological attributes of both genotypes. The small-rooted Shengrui 999 was more tolerant to low P than Zhongke 11. Inoculation with AMF alleviates low P stress in both genotypes with a more profound effect on Zhongke 11 at low P and on Shengrui 999 at high P conditions.

Keywords: AMF; P efficiency; low P stress; maize; root system architecture.

Abstract

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