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Mycorrhizal C costs and nutritional benefits in developing grapevines

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Abstract

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) C-costs in grapevines were investigated. Dormant vines rely on stored C for initial growth. Therefore AM colonisation costs would compete with plant growth for available C reserves. One-year-old grapevines, colonised with Glomus etunicatum (Becker and Gerdemann), were cultivated under glasshouse conditions. The C-economy and P utilisation of the symbiosis were sequentially analysed. AM colonisation, during the 0–67 day growth period, used more stem C relative to root C, which resulted in lower shoot growth. The decline in AM colonisation during the period of 67–119 days coincided with stem C replenishment and higher shoot growth. Construction costs of AM plants and root C allocation increased with root P uptake. The efficiency of P utilisation was lower in AM roots. The reliance of AM colonisation on stem C declined with a decrease in colonisation, providing more C for the refilling of stem carbohydrate reserves and shoot growth. Once established, the AM symbiosis increased P uptake at the expense of refilling of root C reserves. Although higher root C allocation increased plant construction costs, AM roots were more efficient at P utilisation.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank AmphiGro cc for financial support and Dr. C. Straker for supplying the inoculum. We thank Prof. V. Smith for discussions and comments relating to this manuscript, and Prof. D. Esseinstat for advice with some of the calculations. We also acknowledge the Botany Department at University of Stellenbosch for research facilities and the KWV for supplying the grapevine material.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Botany Department, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, 7602, Matieland, South Africa

    P. E. Mortimer

  2. Department of Viticulture and Oenology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, 7602, Matieland, South Africa

    E. Archer

  3. Department of Environmental Sciences, Applied Sciences Faculty, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, P.O. Box 662, Cape Town 8000, South Africa

    A. J. Valentine

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  1. P. E. Mortimer
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  2. E. Archer
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  3. A. J. Valentine
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Correspondence to A. J. Valentine.

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Mortimer, P.E., Archer, E. & Valentine, A.J. Mycorrhizal C costs and nutritional benefits in developing grapevines. Mycorrhiza 15, 159–165 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00572-004-0317-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00572-004-0317-2

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