Thresholds of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Input Substantially Alter Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Communities and Wheat Yield in Dryland Farmland

Abstract

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are essential for preserving the multifunctionality of ecosystems. The nitrogen (N)/phosphorus (P) threshold that causes notable variations in the AM fungus community of the soil and plant productivity is still unclear. Herein, a long-term (18 years) field experiment with five N and five P fertilizer levels was conducted to investigate the change patterns of soil AM fungus, multifunctionality, and wheat yield. High-N and -P fertilizer inputs did not considerably increase the wheat yield. In the AM fungal network, a statistically significant positive correlation was observed between ecosystem multifunctionality and the biodiversity of two primary ecological clusters (N: Module #0 and P: Module #3). Furthermore, fertilizer input thresholds for N (92-160 kg ha^-1) and P (78-100 kg ha^-1) significantly altered the AM fungal community, soil characteristics, and plant productivity. Our study provided a basis for reduced N and P fertilizer application and sustainable agricultural development from the aspect of soil AM fungi.

Keywords: biodiversity; ecosystem multifunctionality; nitrogen fertilization; phosphorus fertilization; threshold.