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Mycorrhizal inoculation and nitrogen fertilization affect the physiology and growth of spring wheat under two contrasting water regimes

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Abstract

Aims

Most plants benefit from mycorrhizal symbiosis through their improved abilities to take up nutrients and water. Information on the interactive effects of fungal inoculation, nitrogen (N) fertilization and drought on water use efficiency (WUE) and productivity of Canadian wheat varieties is scanty.

Methods

In this study, we investigated the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation, N fertilization and water regime (well-watered (WW) vs water-deficit (WD)) on WUE, phosphorus (P) and N uptake and growth of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum var. Superb) in a greenhouse experiment.

Results

The specific leaf area (SLA) of flag leaves was significantly increased by AMF inoculation under the two water regimes but was lowered under N fertilization and drought conditions. The AMF inoculation significantly enhanced relative water content under WD. The WUE and instantaneous WUE (WUEi) were enhanced by N fertilization and AMF inoculation under both water regimes. Combined N fertilization and AMF inoculation significantly increased N concentrations in stem and grain, plant height, biomass and grain yield under WD. The P concentrations in stem and grain were increased under WD, irrespective of other treatments applied. The WUE and grain N, stem N, and P concentrations were positively correlated.

Conclusions

Plant physiological characteristics were negatively affected by WD, while N fertilization and AMF inoculation enhanced plant performance under WD, including the increase of N and P concentrations in different componments of spring wheat.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the China Scholarship Council, Alberta Crop Industry Development Fund Ltd., Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada, the State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland farming on Loess Plateau (No. K318009902-1403), and Research Program of Baoji University of Arts and Science (No. ZK15035).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland farming on Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China

    Beibei Zhang

  2. Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Disaster Monitoring and Mechanism Simulating, Baoji University of Arts and Sciences, Baoji, 721013, China

    Beibei Zhang

  3. Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E3, Canada

    Beibei Zhang, Scott X. Chang & Anthony O. Anyia

  4. Alberta Innovates - Technology Futures, Vegreville, AB, T9C 1T4, Canada

    Anthony O. Anyia

Authors
  1. Beibei Zhang
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  2. Scott X. Chang
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  3. Anthony O. Anyia
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Correspondence to Anthony O. Anyia.

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Responsible Editor: Peter Christie.

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Zhang, B., Chang, S.X. & Anyia, A.O. Mycorrhizal inoculation and nitrogen fertilization affect the physiology and growth of spring wheat under two contrasting water regimes. Plant Soil 398, 47–57 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-015-2635-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-015-2635-x

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