Responses of biomass accumulation and nutrient utilization along a phosphorus supply gradient in Leymus chinensis

Huijun Li; Yutong Hu; Gongshe Liu; Jiandong Sheng; Wentai Zhang; Hongmei Zhao; Hongliang Kang; Xiaoguo Zhou

doi:10.1038/s41598-023-31402-4

Responses of biomass accumulation and nutrient utilization along a phosphorus supply gradient in Leymus chinensis

Sci Rep. 2023 Apr 6;13(1):5660. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-31402-4.

Authors

Huijun Li^{1

2

3}, Yutong Hu^{4

5}, Gongshe Liu⁶, Jiandong Sheng^{1

7}, Wentai Zhang^{1

7}, Hongmei Zhao^{1

7}, Hongliang Kang⁸, Xiaoguo Zhou^{1

7}

Affiliations

¹ College of Resources and Environment, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, 830052, Xinjiang, China.
² The Research Center of Soil and Water Conservation and Ecological Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Education, Yangling, 712100, Shanxi, China.
³ University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
⁴ College of Resources and Environment, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, 830052, Xinjiang, China. hyt@xjau.edu.cn.
⁵ Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Soil and Plant Ecological Processes, Urumqi, 830052, Xinjiang, China. hyt@xjau.edu.cn.
⁶ Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China.
⁷ Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Soil and Plant Ecological Processes, Urumqi, 830052, Xinjiang, China.
⁸ State Key Laboratory of Erosion and Dryland Agriculture On the Loess Plateaus, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.

Abstract

Phosphorus (P) deficiencies are widespread in calcareous soils. The poor availability of nitrogen (N) and P in soils often restricts crop growth. However, the effects of P addition on plant growth and plant nutrient transport changes during the establishment of Leymus chinensis fields in Xinjiang are not clear. We investigated the responses of Leymus chinensis biomass and nutrient absorption and utilization to changes in soil N and P by adding P (0, 15.3, 30.6, and 45.9 kg P ha^-1 year^-1) with basally applied N fertilizer (150 kg N ha^-1 year^-1). The results showed that (a) Principal component analysis (PCA) of biomass, nutrient accumulation, soil available P, and soil available N during the different periods of Leymus chinensis growth showed that their cumulative contributions during the jointing and harvest periods reached 95.4% and 88%, respectively. (b) Phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) increased with the increase of P fertilizer gradient and then decreased and the maximum PUE was 13.14% under moderate P addition. The accumulation of biomass and nutrients in Leymus chinensis can be effectively improved by the addition of P fertilizer at 30.6 kg ha^-1. Different P additions either moderately promoted or excessively inhibited Leymus chinensis growth and nutrient utilization.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Biomass
Fertilizers*
Nitrogen / pharmacology
Nutrients
Phosphorus* / pharmacology
Poaceae
Soil

Substances

Phosphorus
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
Soil