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. 2023 May 8;12(9):1908.
doi: 10.3390/plants12091908.

Effect of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on Nitrogen and Phosphorus Uptake Efficiency and Crop Productivity of Two-Rowed Barley under Different Crop Production Systems

Dimitrios Beslemes  1 , Evangelia Tigka  1 , Ioannis Roussis  2 , Ioanna Kakabouki  2 , Antonios Mavroeidis  2 , Dimitrios Vlachostergios  1
Affiliations

Effect of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on Nitrogen and Phosphorus Uptake Efficiency and Crop Productivity of Two-Rowed Barley under Different Crop Production Systems

Dimitrios Beslemes et al. Plants (Basel). .

Abstract

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) constitute a ubiquitous group of soil microorganisms, affecting plant and soil microorganism growth. Various crop management practices can have a significant impact on the AM association. This study investigated the AMF inoculation contribution on growth and productivity of two-rowed barley crop by identifying the underlying mechanisms both in conventional and organic cropping systems. A two-year field trial was set up as a split-plot design with 2 main plots [AMF inoculation: with (AMF+) and without (AMF-)] and five sub-plots (fertilization regimes: untreated, 100% recommended dose of fertilizer in organic and inorganic form, and 60% recommended dose of fertilizer in organic and inorganic form) in three replications. According to the results, AMF+ plants presented higher plant height and leaf area index (LAI), resulting in increased biomass and, as a result, higher seed yield. With regard to the quality traits, including the nitrogen and phosphorus uptake and their utilization indices, the AMF inoculated plants showed higher values. Furthermore, the level of fertilization, particularly in an inorganic form, adversely affected AMF root colonization. Consequently, it was concluded that substitution of inorganic inputs by organic, as well as inputs reduction, when combined with AMF inoculation, can produce excellent results, thus making barley crop cultivation sustainable in Mediterranean climates.

Keywords: AMF root colonization; Hordeum vulgare subsp. distichum L.; nitrogen harvest index (NHI); nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUtE); phosphorus uptake; seed yield.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
AMF inoculation effect on (A) nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUtE) and (B) phosphorus utilization efficiency (PUtE) of two-rowed barley crop. AMF inoculation treatments: AMF and No AMF, with and without AMF inoculation, respectively.
Figure 2
Figure 2
AMF colonization of two-rowed barley crop as affected by (A) AMF inoculation and (B) fertilization. Error bars represent ± S.E. Different letters above bars represent significant differences at p < 0.05 according to Tukey’s HSD test. AMF inoculation treatments: AMF+ and AMF−, with and without AMF inoculation, respectively. Fertilization treatments: 100% and 60% recommended dose of fertilizer in organic form (100% Org and 60% Org, respectively), 100% and 60% recommended dose of fertilizer in inorganic form (100% Inorg. and 60% Inorg, respectively), and untreated (control).
Figure 2
Figure 2
AMF colonization of two-rowed barley crop as affected by (A) AMF inoculation and (B) fertilization. Error bars represent ± S.E. Different letters above bars represent significant differences at p < 0.05 according to Tukey’s HSD test. AMF inoculation treatments: AMF+ and AMF−, with and without AMF inoculation, respectively. Fertilization treatments: 100% and 60% recommended dose of fertilizer in organic form (100% Org and 60% Org, respectively), 100% and 60% recommended dose of fertilizer in inorganic form (100% Inorg. and 60% Inorg, respectively), and untreated (control).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Weighted mycorrhizal dependency (WMD) of two-rowed barley crop as affected by different fertilization type and level. Error bars represent ± S.E. Different letters above bars represent significant differences at p < 0.05 according to Tukey’s HSD test. Fertilization treatments: 100% and 60% recommended dose of fertilizer in organic form (100% Org and 60% Org, respectively), 100% and 60% recommended dose of fertilizer in inorganic form (100% Inorg. and 60% Inorg, respectively), and untreated (control).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Heatmap of correlation coefficients between evaluated traits. ns: Non-significant; *, **, *** and ****: Significant at the 5%, 1%, 0.1% and 0.01% levels, respectively. LAI: leaf area index, HI: harvest index, N: nitrogen, P: phosphorus, NHI: nitrogen harvest index, PHI: phosphorus harvest index, NUtE: nitrogen utilization efficiency, PUtE: phosphorus utilization efficiency (PUtE), WMD: weighted mycorrhizal dependency.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Overview of the two-rowed barley experimental field on 22 April 2016 (90 days after sowing).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Weather data for the experimental site (Larissa, Thessaly, Greece) during the growing periods (January–June, 2015 and 2016).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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