Arbuscular mycorrhiza improve growth, nitrogen uptake, and nitrogen use efficiency in wheat grown under elevated CO2

Mycorrhiza. 2016 Feb;26(2):133-40. doi: 10.1007/s00572-015-0654-3. Epub 2015 Jul 7.

Abstract

Effects of the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus Rhizophagus irregularis on plant growth, carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) accumulation, and partitioning was investigated in Triticum aestivum L. plants grown under elevated CO2 in a pot experiment. Wheat plants inoculated or not inoculated with the AM fungus were grown in two glasshouse cells with different CO2 concentrations (400 and 700 ppm) for 10 weeks. A (15)N isotope labeling technique was used to trace plant N uptake. Results showed that elevated CO2 increased AM fungal colonization. Under CO2 elevation, AM plants had higher C concentration and higher plant biomass than the non-AM plants. CO2 elevation did not affect C and N partitioning in plant organs, while AM symbiosis increased C and N allocation into the roots. In addition, plant C and N accumulation, (15)N recovery rate, and N use efficiency (NUE) were significantly higher in AM plants than in non-AM controls under CO2 enrichment. It is concluded that AM symbiosis favors C and N partitioning in roots, increases C accumulation and N uptake, and leads to greater NUE in wheat plants grown at elevated CO2.

Keywords: 15N recovery rate; Arbuscular mycorrhiza; C/N accumulation; C/N partitioning; Nitrogen use efficiency; Triticum aestivum L.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biomass
  • Carbon / analysis
  • Carbon Dioxide / metabolism*
  • Glomeromycota / drug effects
  • Glomeromycota / physiology*
  • Isotope Labeling
  • Mycorrhizae / drug effects
  • Mycorrhizae / physiology*
  • Nitrogen / metabolism*
  • Symbiosis / drug effects*
  • Triticum / growth & development*
  • Triticum / metabolism*
  • Triticum / microbiology

Substances

  • Carbon Dioxide
  • Carbon
  • Nitrogen