Impact of soil sterilization and irrigation intervals on P and K acquisition by mycorrhizal onion (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Allium cepa</Emphasis>)

Drought is a world-spread problem seriously influencing crop production. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) association and soil microorganisms can help plant growth under water stress condition by improvement of its nutrient and water uptake. In this experiment, onion plants (Allium cepa L. cv. Red Azar Shahr) were inoculated with three AM fungi species (Glomus versiforme, G. intraradices, G. etunicatum) or left un-inoculated as non-mycorrhizal plants, in a sterile or non-sterile sandy loam soil. Plants were irrigated at 7, 9 or 11-day intervals to keep the soil moisture content to field capacity at the irrigation time. Mycorrhizal root colonization decreased (p < 0.05) with an increase in irrigation interval, and the highest root colonization was achieved at 7-day irrigated onions in symbiosis with G. versiforme. Phosphorus content in plant tissue was significantly increased in mycorrhizal than non-mycorrhizal onions. Plants inoculated with G. versiforme at 9-day interval treatment had the highest leaf P content, while the lowest P was observed in non-mycorrhizal plants at all irrigation intervals. Onions inoculated by G. versiforme or G. etunicatum at 9-day irrigation interval had the highest K content. Results revealed that the inoculation of onion plant with G. versiforme or G. etunicatum and increasing irrigation interval up to 9 days, could improve P and K uptake.     

水肥耦合对油松生态林林木生长的影响

为减少油松定植后的死亡率,在控制成本的基础上促进油松良好生长,该研究采用裂区实验设计方法,选取三个灌溉水平与三个园林废弃物有机肥施用量进行比较试验,通过测定油松树高、胸径、叶绿素及叶片养分含量指标探究灌溉和施用有机肥对油松林木生长的影响。结果表明:灌溉可以显著提高油松在胸径、树高、生理等方面的生长指标,树高和胸径在中水灌溉(A2)下的促进效果甚至高于高水灌溉(A3);试验处理1 a后,施肥对油松的生长影响显著,但三个施肥水平间的差异不显著;灌溉与施用有机肥之间不存在显著交互作用。综上可知,施肥和灌溉对油松的生长会产生显著的促进作用,从施肥和灌溉的效果并综合资源利用效率的角度考虑,少量施用有机肥,并以80 L·(10天·株·次)-1的灌水量在生长季(4月—9月)进行滴灌是较为经济、有效的油松生态林管护措施。     

Response of snapdragon (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Antirrhinum majus</Emphasis> L.) to blended water irrigation and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation: uptake of minerals and leaf water relations

A greenhouse study was performed in order to investigate the effects of three arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) species on vegetative growth, water relations, and mineral composition parameters of snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus cv. Bells white) under irrigation from different water sources. Five irrigation treatments included using purely desalinized (fresh) water (DW), as a control, three different blends of DW with saline ground water from a well with increasing salinity, and one with 100% of saline well water. Inoculation with AMF enhanced growth rates and a relative water content of snapdragon plants grown under well-water irrigation. AMF also improved the leaf water potential and increased water-use efficiency of the plants. Shoot and root dry masses were higher in the AMF-treated plants than those in AMF-free plants. In both shoots and roots, concentrations of total P, Ca²⁺, N, Mg²⁺, and K⁺ were higher in the AMF-treated plants compared with AMF-free plants under salt-stress conditions. Shoot Cl^- and Na⁺ concentrations were lower in the AMF-treated plants than those in the AMF-free plants grown under well-water irrigation. Snapdragon plants exhibited a high degree of dependency on AMF; it improved plant growth rates and leaf water relations, particularly, with increasing salinity of irrigation water.     

减磷配施有机肥对丛枝菌根真菌群落的复杂度和稳定性的短期效应

【目的】探究减磷配施有机肥条件下土壤中丛枝菌根（arbuscular mycorrhiza，AM）真菌群落特性、网络复杂性及群落的稳定性之间的关系，揭示有机肥替代背景下，土壤理化性质与AM真菌的群落结构对网络特征和群落稳定性的短期效应。【方法】在2012年开始的无机磷肥长期定位试验的基础上，于2018年实施减磷配施有机肥裂区试验，共设6个处理：施无机磷0、75、150 kg/hm²；无机磷肥施用量减少30%，即0、52.5、105 kg/hm²，并配施有机肥（猪粪）3 187 kg/hm²，每个处理重复3次。通过高通量测序和生物信息学分析，探究减磷配施有机肥对土壤中AM真菌群落的网络特征及稳定性的短期效应。【结果】相比于无机磷施用，减磷配施有机肥整体上降低了AM真菌群落的α多样性，各处理中的AM真菌优势类群均为球囊霉属（Glomus）和类球囊霉属（Paraglomus）。网络的平均度、平均加权度在无机磷肥及减磷配施有机肥处理中均在适量施磷下达到最大值，且无机磷肥处理大于减磷配施有机肥处理；网络负相关连接线数在无机磷肥处理中随施磷量增加而增加，而在减磷配施有机肥处理中随施磷量增加而减少。减磷配施有机肥通过抑制AM真菌群落间正相互作用来提高负正凝聚力比值，从而促进群落稳定性。相比于AM真菌的指示物种（indicator species）和关键类群（keystone taxa），优势类群（dominant taxa）与AM真菌群落的稳定性密切相关。【结论】在酸性紫色土中，短期减磷配施有机肥通过改变土壤pH、速效磷和有机质，调控AM真菌群落的α多样性和优势类群，进而影响AM真菌群落的网络复杂度和群落稳定性。     

Mechanism of application nursery cultivation arbuscular mycorrhizal seedling in watermelon in the field

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonisation of plant root facilitates the absorption of nutrients such as phosphorus (P) and enhances plant biotic and abiotic resistance generally. However, arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) colonisation decreases with application of chemical fertiliser. Here, we investigated whether AMF inoculation in nurseries would facilitate AM colonisation and take physiological and ecological functions in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) in the field. Pot experiments were carried out to study the change of AMF colonised seedling on physiology and gene expression in nursery site. Field experiments were performed to investigate the effect of nursery AMF inoculation on yield, quality and disease resistance of watermelon in the field. The results showed that nursery‐inoculated seedlings produced more dry matter and root surface area than non‐inoculated seedlings. Expression of the secretory purple acid phosphatase (PAP) genes ClaPAP10 and ClaPAP26 was up‐regulated following AMF colonisation. Accordingly, acid phosphatase activities at the root surface and P concentrations in seedling were enhanced. After transplantation to the field, the shoot dry matter and P concentration in old stem were higher in the nursery AMF inoculated seedlings than that in non‐AMF inoculated seedling. AMF inoculation also induced increase of yields and decrease of wilt disease indexes and soluble sugar content. In addition, acid phosphatase activities and AMF spore densities were increased by nursery‐inoculation in watermelon rhizosphere soil in the field. In conclusion, nursery colonisation AMF seedling enhanced watermelon growth and yield by improving the root growth and P acquisition in nursery cultivating stage, as well as optimised soil properties in the field. Nursery cultivation of watermelon seedling with AMF was an effective technique to reduce wilt disease in continuous cropped management in watermelon.     

Is resource allocation and grain yield of rice altered by inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi?

Aims Our study quantified the combined effects of fertilization and inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on grain yield and allocation of biomass and nutrients in field-grown rice (Oryza sativa L.).Methods A two-factor experiment was conducted at a field site in northeast of China (in Shuangcheng, Heilongjiang Province, Songhua River basin): six nitrogen–phosphorus–potassium fertilizer levels were provided (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% of the local norm of fertilizer supply), with or without inoculation with Glomus mosseae. At maturity, we quantified the percentage of root length colonization by AMF, grain yield, shoot:root ratios, shoot N and P contents and nutrients allocated to panicles, leaves and stems.Important findings As expected, inoculation resulted in greatly increased AMF colonization, which in turn led to higher shoot:root ratios and greater shoot N contents. Shoot:root ratios of inoculated rice increased with increasing fertilization while there was a significant interaction between fertilization and inoculation on shoot:root ratio. Additionally, AMF inoculation increased panicle:shoot ratios, panicle N:shoot N ratios and panicle P:shoot P ratios, especially in plants grown at low fertilizer levels. Importantly, inoculated rice exhibited higher grain yield, with the maximum improvement (near 62%) at the lower fertilizer end. Our results showed that (i) AMF-inoculated plants conform to the functional equilibrium theory, albeit to a reduced extent compared to non-inoculated plants and (ii) AMF inoculation resulted in greater allocation of shoot biomass to panicles and increased grain yield by stimulating N and P redistribution to panicles.     

Establishment and effectiveness of inoculated arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in agricultural soils

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are promoted as biofertilizers for sustainable agriculture. So far, most researchers have investigated the effects of AMF on plant growth under highly controlled conditions with sterilized soil, soil substrates or soils with low available P or low inoculum potential. However, it is still poorly documented whether inoculated AMF can successfully establish in field soils with native AMF communities and enhance plant growth. We inoculated grassland microcosms planted with a grass–clover mixture (Lolium multiflorum and Trifolium pratense) with the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Rhizoglomus irregulare. The microcosms were filled with eight different unsterilized field soils that varied greatly in soil type and chemical characteristics and indigenous AMF communities. We tested whether inoculation with AMF enhanced plant biomass and R. irregulare abundance using a species specific qPCR. Inoculation increased the abundance of R. irregulare in all soils, irrespective of soil P availability, the initial abundance of R. irregulare or the abundance of native AM fungal communities. AMF inoculation had no effect on the grass but significantly enhanced clover yield in five out of eight field soils. The results demonstrate that AMF inoculation can be successful, even when soil P availability is high and native AMF communities are abundant.     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus enhances P acquisition of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in a sandy loam soil with long-term inorganic fertilization regime

The P efficiency, crop yield, and response of wheat to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Glomus caledonium were tested in an experimental field with long-term (19 years) fertilizer management. The experiment included five fertilizer treatments: organic amendment (OA), half organic amendment plus half mineral fertilizer (1/2 OM), mineral fertilizer NPK, mineral fertilizer NK, and the control (without fertilization). AMF inoculation responsiveness (MIR) of wheat plants at acquiring P were estimated by comparing plants grown in unsterilized soil inoculated with G. caledonium and in untreated soil containing indigenous AMF. Without AMF inoculation, higher crop yields but lower colonization rates were observed in the NPK and two OA-inputted treatments, and NPK had significantly (P < 0.05) lower impacts on organic C and available P in soils and thereby P acquisition of wheat plants compared with OA and 1/2 OM. G. caledonium inoculation significantly (P < 0.05) increased colonization rates with the NPK and two P-deficient treatments but significantly (P < 0.05) increased vegetative biomass, crop yield, and P acquisition of wheat as well as soil alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, only with the NPK treatment. This gave an MIR of ca. 45% on total P acquisition of wheat plants. There were no other remarkable MIRs. It suggested that the MIR is determined by soil available P status, and rational combination of AMF with chemical NPK fertilizer can compensate for organic amendments by improving P-acquisition efficiency in arable soils.     

Fertilizing nature: a tragedy of excess in the commons

Globally, we are applying excessive nitrogen (N) fertilizers to our agricultural crops, which ultimately causes nitrogen pollution to our ecosphere. The atmosphere is polluted by N₂O and NO_x gases that directly and indirectly increase atmospheric warming and climate change. Nitrogen is also leached from agricultural lands as the water-soluble form NO₃ ⁻, which increases nutrient overload in rivers, lakes, and oceans, causing “dead zones”, reducing property values and the diversity of aquatic life, and damaging our drinking water and aquatic-associated industries such as fishing and tourism. Why do some countries show reductions in fertilizer use while others show increasing use? What N fertilizer application reductions could occur, without compromising crop yields? And what are the economic and environmental benefits of using directed nutrient management strategies?In his 1968 seminal paper, “The Tragedy of the Commons,” the late Garrett Hardin argued that individuals, acting in rational pursuit of their own self-interest, will sacrifice the long-term viability of a shared resource for short-term gain. “Ruin is the destination toward which all men rush, each pursuing his own best interest in a society that believes in the freedom of the commons.” In the case of pollution, he wrote, “Here it is not a question of taking something out of the commons, but of putting something in – sewage, or chemical wastes into water” [1]. Perhaps one of the best examples of this “over-contribution” is nitrogen (N) fertilizers, where individual rational behaviour (i.e., applying high fertilizer rates to maximize short-term economic yield) can cause long-range harm to the environment. The true cost of applying high rates of N fertilizers in order to maximize overall yield is already apparent in the form of global climate change. The incentive to over-apply N fertilizers is likely to continue, as both the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Nations (UN) have predicted high future demand for cereal production, especially within the developing nations, due to predicted increases in populations and dietary shifts.In developed countries, crop yields have nearly reached their biological maximum and increasing fertilizer use is unlikely to provide any significant additional gains. In contrast, in developing countries, there is still a large yield gap. Although we need to increase crop yields to feed the growing global population, we also need to do this in an environmentally sustainable way. We cannot increase our yields by increasing N fertilizer application (not even in areas of the world that still have an exploitable yield gap) at the expense of the ozone layer or marine life. Certainly, while regions with an N balance surplus can reduce N fertilizer application rates without yield losses (i.e., Denmark), other regions will need to increase their N use (i.e., sub-Saharan Africa), but still use best management practices. N balanced countries may also be able to reduce N fertilizer rates without yield loss by employing new technologies such as improved plant varieties, region-specific farming practices, time-release N fertilizer, drip irrigation, crop rotation, bioinoculants, and similar approaches.     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi native from a Mediterranean saline area enhance maize tolerance to salinity through improved ion homeostasis

Soil salinity restricts plant growth and productivity. Na⁺ represents the major ion causing toxicity because it competes with K⁺ for binding sites at the plasma membrane. Inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can alleviate salt stress in the host plant through several mechanisms. These may include ion selection during the fungal uptake of nutrients from the soil or during transfer to the host plant. AM benefits could be enhanced when native AMF isolates are used. Thus, we investigated whether native AMF isolated from an area with problems of salinity and desertification can help maize plants to overcome the negative effects of salinity stress better than non‐AM plants or plants inoculated with non‐native AMF. Results showed that plants inoculated with two out the three native AMF had the highest shoot dry biomass at all salinity levels. Plants inoculated with the three native AMF showed significant increase of K⁺ and reduced Na⁺ accumulation as compared to non‐mycorrhizal plants, concomitantly with higher K⁺/Na⁺ ratios in their tissues. For the first time, these effects have been correlated with regulation of ZmAKT2, ZmSOS1 and ZmSKOR genes expression in the roots of maize, contributing to K⁺ and Na⁺ homeostasis in plants colonized by native AMF.     

Mycorrhizal inoculation as an alternative for the sustainable production of Mimosa tenuiflora seedlings with improved growth and secondary compounds content

In this study, we report the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and increasing doses of phosphorus (P) on the growth and production of secondary metabolites in Mimosa tenuiflora, a medicinal species native to Brazil. We used a completely randomized design with four inoculation treatments: Control not inoculated (1); Claroideoglomus etunicatum (2); Gigaspora albida (3); and C. etunicatum + G. albida (4) and four doses of P; P0 – baseline dose, P8, P16 and P32. After 70 d in a greenhouse, growth, mycorrhizal variables, biochemical and phytochemical parameters were evaluated. Compared to non-mycorrhizal plants, mycorrhized M. tenuiflora seedlings showed greater: growth, greater photosynthetic performance and content of soluble carbohydrates and secondary metabolites, with the most significant benefits occurring in soil with low to moderate P content (up to 16 mg kg^?1). The plant growth is severely restricted at low P levels, but the addition of AMF appears to remove this limiting factor. Although M. tenuiflora responds to levels of phosphate fertilization, it responds well to mycorrhizal inoculation, especially with G. albida, which promotes benefits for the initial growth and secondary metabolite content in this plant species of medical and potential commercial interest and may be used instead of phosphate fertilizer.     

AMF和DSE组合菌剂促生防线虫病效应

本试验旨在探究丛枝菌根真菌（AMF）和暗隔内生真菌（DSE）组合菌剂对南方根结线虫Meloidogyne incognita发育、侵染、黄瓜根结线虫病以及黄瓜生长发育的影响,为进一步探索AMF和DSE协同发挥生理生态效应的作用机制奠定基础。试验对“津优35号”黄瓜接种南方根结线虫、Phoma leveillei（DSE）、Funneliformis mosseae（AMF）、Glomus versiforme（AMF）、Acaulospora laevis（AMF）和/或Scutellospora aurigloba（AMF）。结果表明,供试AMF与DSE 能促进黄瓜生长、提高产量和增强抗病性。AMF+DSE组合处理的菌根和DSE的定殖数量、株高、茎粗、地上部和根系干重、单株产量等显著优于单接种AMF或单接种DSE处理。以F. mosseae + P. leveillei组合抑制南方根结线虫的发育、降低线虫繁殖数量、根内定殖数量、发病率和根结指数的效果最好。     

膜下滴灌技术生态-经济与可持续性分析——以新疆玛纳斯河流域棉花为例

利用2000、2004、2006和2009年玛纳斯河流域的调查数据,以棉花为例,从生态、经济和社会可持续发展三个角度对比分析了膜下滴灌技术的应用效果.生态效益主要表现为,采用膜下滴灌比沟灌平均节水41.92％,流域内农业节约水量约为多年河道来水的9.34％,基本满足河道最小生态需水;采用膜下滴灌比沟灌节约化肥用量18.38％,节约农药用量17.00％.经济效益主要表现为,采用膜下滴灌棉花(籽棉)单产提高23.15％,水分利用效率(WUE)提高70.70％.社会效益主要表现为,采用膜下滴灌农业管理效率提高3-4倍,节约了农业劳动力.采用Bossel理论综合评价膜下滴灌技术的社会可持续性性,结果为良好.总体分析结果表明,采用膜下滴灌技术有利于区域社会经济的发展和生态环境的保护.本文的研究结果可为今后膜下滴灌技术的推广应用提供参考.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhizophagus irregularis</Emphasis> MUCL 41833 can colonize and improve P uptake of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plantago lanceolata</Emphasis> after exposure to ionizing gamma radiation in root organ culture

Long-lived radionuclides such as ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs can be naturally or accidentally deposited in the upper soil layers where they emit β/γ radiation. Previous studies have shown that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can accumulate and transfer radionuclides from soil to plant, but there have been no studies on the direct impact of ionizing radiation on AMF. In this study, root organ cultures of the AMF Rhizophagus irregularis MUCL 41833 were exposed to 15.37, 30.35, and 113.03 Gy gamma radiation from a ¹³⁷Cs source. Exposed spores were subsequently inoculated to Plantago lanceolata seedlings in pots, and root colonization and P uptake evaluated. P. lanceolata seedlings inoculated with non-irradiated AMF spores or with spores irradiated with up to 30.35 Gy gamma radiation had similar levels of root colonization. Spores irradiated with 113.03 Gy gamma radiation failed to colonize P. lanceolata roots. P content of plants inoculated with non-irradiated spores or of plants inoculated with spores irradiated with up to 30.35 Gy gamma radiation was higher than in non-mycorrhizal plants or plants inoculated with spores irradiated with 113.03 Gy gamma radiation. These results demonstrate that spores of R. irregularis MUCL 41833 are tolerant to chronic ionizing radiation at high doses.     

Impact of two fluorescent pseudomonads and an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus on tomato plant growth,root architecture and P acquisition

The ability of fluorescent pseudomonads and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to promote plant growth is well documented but knowledge of the impact of pseudomonad-mycorrhiza mixed inocula on root architecture is scanty. In the present work, growth and root architecture of tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Guadalete), inoculated or not with Pseudomonas fluorescens 92rk and P190r and/or the AMF Glomus mosseae BEG12, were evaluated by measuring shoot and root fresh weight and by analysing morphometric parameters of the root system. The influence of the microorganisms on phosphorus (P) acquisition was assayed as total P accumulated in leaves of plants inoculated or not with the three microorganisms. The two bacterial strains and the AMF, alone or in combination, promoted plant growth. P. fluorescens 92rk and G. mosseae BEG12 when co-inoculated had a synergistic effect on root fresh weight. Moreover, co-inoculation of the three microorganisms synergistically increased plant growth compared with singly inoculated plants. Both the fluorescent pseudomonads and the myco-symbiont, depending on the inoculum combination, strongly affected root architecture. P. fluorescens 92rk increased mycorrhizal colonization, suggesting that this strain is a mycorrhization helper bacterium. Finally, the bacterial strains and the AMF, alone or in combination, improved plant mineral nutrition by increasing leaf P content. These results support the potential use of fluorescent pseudomonads and AMF as mixed inoculants for tomato and suggest that improved tomato growth could be related to the increase in P acquisition.     

Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Allow Reduced Application Rates of Chemical Fertilizers

The search for microorganisms that improve soil fertility and enhance plant nutrition has continued to attract attention due to the increasing cost of fertilizers and some of their negative environmental impacts. The objectives of this greenhouse study with tomato were to determine (1) if reduced rates of inorganic fertilizer coupled with microbial inoculants will produce plant growth, yield, and nutrient uptake levels equivalent to those with full rates of the fertilizer and (2) the minimum level to which fertilizer could be reduced when inoculants were used. The microbial inoculants used in the study were a mixture of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) strains Bacillus amyloliquefaciens IN937a and Bacillus pumilus T4, a formulated PGPR product, and the arbuscular mycorrhiza fungus (AMF), Glomus intraradices. Results showed that supplementing 75% of the recommended fertilizer rate with inoculants produced plant growth, yield, and nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) uptake that were statistically equivalent to the full fertilizer rate without inoculants. When inoculants were used with rates of fertilizer below 75% of the recommended rate, the beneficial effects were usually not consistent; however, inoculation with the mixture of PGPR and AMF at 70% fertility consistently produced the same yield as the full fertility rate without inoculants. Without inoculants, use of fertilizer rates lower than the recommended resulted in significantly less plant growth, yield, and nutrient uptake or inconsistent impacts. The results suggest that PGPR-based inoculants can be used and should be further evaluated as components of integrated nutrient management strategies.     

不同强度盐胁迫下AM真菌对羊草生长的影响

不同浓度NaCl盐处理下,AM真菌对羊草(Leymus chinensis)的侵染能力和对植物生长的影响,从植物形态和离子含量角度探讨了AM真菌提高羊草耐盐性的作用机理。结果表明,在高盐胁迫下,AM真菌显著降低了盐胁迫效应,提高了羊草生物量,菌根效应明显。菌根化羊草的根茎比显著增加,并且N、P浓度较高,Na~+和Cl~-离子浓度较低,表明AM真菌即促进羊草对营养元素的吸收,又减少了离子毒害。菌根化羊草的Ca~(2+)和K~+离子浓度,以及P/Na~+和K~+/Na~+比高于非菌根化羊草,表明AM真菌可通过调节渗透势以避免或减缓盐胁迫造成的生理缺水。随着盐胁迫的增加,菌根化羊草对磷的依赖性逐渐转换为对钾的依赖性。研究结果有助于揭示AM真菌提高植物耐盐能力的作用机理,并对应用菌根技术修复盐化草地具有理论指导意义。     

Options of partners improve carbon for phosphorus trade in the arbuscular mycorrhizal mutualism

The mutualism between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) is widespread and has persisted for over 400 million years. Although this mutualism depends on fair resource exchange between plants and fungi, inequality exists among partners despite mechanisms that regulate trade. Here, we use ³³P and ¹⁴C isotopes and a split‐root system to test for preferential allocation and reciprocal rewards in the plant–AMF symbiosis by presenting a plant with two AMF that differ in cooperativeness. We found that plants received more ³³P from less cooperative AMF in the presence of another AMF species. This increase in ³³P resulted in a reduced ¹⁴C cost per unit of ³³P from less cooperative AMF when alternative options were available. Our results indicate that AMF diversity promotes cooperation between plants and AMF, which may be an important mechanism maintaining the evolutionary persistence of and diversity within the plant–AMF mutualism.     

The response of field grownPhaseolus vulgaris to Rhizobium inoculation and the quantification of N2 fixation using15N

Summary A field experiment was performed to assess the effects of Rhizobium inoculation and nitrogen fertilizer (100 kg N ha^–1) on four cultivars of Phaseolus beans; Carioca, Negro Argel, Venezuela 350 and Rio Tibagi. In the inoculated treatment 2.5 kg N ha^–1 of¹⁵N labelled fertilizer was added in order to apply the isotope dilution technique to quantify the contribution of N₂ fixation to the nutrition of these cultivars.Nodulation of all cultivars in the uninoculated treatments was poor, but the cultivars Carioca and Negro Argel were well nodulated when inoculated. Even when inoculated, nodulation of the cultivars Venezuela 350 and Rio Tibagi was poor and these cultivars showed little response to inoculation in terms of nitrogen accumulation or grain yield. The estimates of the contribution of N₂ fixation estimated using the isotope dilution technique, for the Carioca and Negro Argel cultivars, amounted to 31.7 and 18.4 kg N ha^–1 respectively. These two cultivars produced 991 and 883 kg ha^–1 of grain, respectively, when inoculated and 663 and 620 kg ha^–1 with the addition of 100 kg N ha^–1 of N fertilizer. The response to nitrogen was particularly poor due to high leaching losses in the very sandy soil at the experimental site.The Venezuela 350 and Rio Tibagi cultivars only responded to N fertilizer and not to inoculation with Rhizobium which stresses the great importance of selecting plant cultivars for nitrogen fixation in the field.