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Low soil phosphorus availability triggers maize growth stage specific rhizosphere processes leading to mineralization of organic P

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Abstract

Aims

In this study, we examine the rhizosphere processes influencing organic P (Po) utilization in soil with low inorganic P (Pi) availability and how they change with plant development. Interactions between plants and the rhizosphere microbial community triggered by P deficiency may provide insights into the role of P availability on degradation of soil organic matter (SOM).

Methods

Maize (Zea mays) plants were grown in low P containing soil. Soil pH, potential acid phosphatase activities, soil C and P pools, microbial biomass C and P, microbial community structure, and plant P content were analyzed at different vegetative growth stages (VGS).

Results

At early VGS, the plants were P deficient which correlated with greater rhizosphere potential acid phosphatase activity, degradation of SOM and a reduction in the Po pool. At late VGS, the plants appeared to recover which correlated with a decrease in Meh (III) extractable P, an increase in microbial biomass C and P, change in microbial community structure, and greater total P (TP) in the plant biomass.

Conclusions

The mineralization of organic C and Po are coupled in low P soil where N is not limited. The overall findings from this study advance our understanding of the coupled biogeochemical rhizosphere processes controlling P cycling at different plant growth stages and notably the importance of Po to the overall P needs of plants in soil with low Pi availability.

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Abbreviations

Pi :

inorganic P

Po :

organic P

VGS:

vegetative growth stages

SOM:

soil organic matter

TP:

total P

DDI:

double deionized

MRP:

molybdate reactive P

PLFA:

phospholipid fatty acid

FAME:

fatty acid methyl esters

OM:

organic matter

ANOVA:

analysis of variance

SR:

soil region

NMDS:

non-metric multidimensional scaling

MRPP:

multi-response permutation procedure

NOSC:

nominal oxidation state of carbon

PCA:

principle component analysis

DSE:

dark septate fungal endophytes

References

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Acknowledgements

We thank Joe Kupper, James Cruchfield, Paige Williams, and Shreeya Shrestha for their help with maintaining plants, soil and plant sampling and analysis.

Funding

This work was supported in part by NIFA-AFRI award # 2016–67019-25281. R. Young was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is operated for DOE by Battelle Memorial Institute under contract DE-AC05–557 76RL01830. A portion of the research was performed using EMSL (grid.436923.9), a DOE Office of Science User Facility sponsored by the Office of Biological and Environmental Research.

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Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

The study was conceptualized and designed by Sunendra R. Joshi and David H. McNear Jr. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Sunendra R. Joshi, David H. McNear Jr., James W. Morris, Robert P. Young, and Malak M. Tfaily. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Sunendra R. Joshi with all authors providing review and comments. All authors read and approved of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to David H. McNear Jr.

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Responsible Editor: N. Jim Barrow.

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Joshi, S.R., Morris, J.W., Tfaily, M.M. et al. Low soil phosphorus availability triggers maize growth stage specific rhizosphere processes leading to mineralization of organic P. Plant Soil 459, 423–440 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-020-04774-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-020-04774-z

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