Title
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Application of slow-release phosphorus fertilizers increases arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal diversity in the roots of apple trees
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Author
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Abstract
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Aims Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a key role in the functioning of agricultural ecosystems. Therefore, understanding how the application of fertilizers, a common management practice, affects AMF communities is of major importance. Here we aimed to: (i) experimentally test whether different amounts and forms of phosphorus (P) fertilizer affect AMF diversity and community composition associated with the roots of apple trees (Malus domestica); (ii) identify differences in tolerance to P fertilization between AMF taxa. Methods We used 454-pyrosequencing of the small subunit rRNA gene amplicons to quantify AMF diversity and community composition in root samples obtained from a three year field experiment, with two inorganic, three slow-release P fertilization and one control treatment. Results The slow-release fertilizer treatments showed significantly higher AMF richness and differed in community composition compared to the inorganic fertilizer treatments. The distribution of AMF OTUs showed a significantly nested pattern. Additionally, AMF communities in the inorganic fertilizer treatments were a subset of the communities in the slow-release fertilizer treatments. Conclusions We demonstrate that application of slow-release fertilizers promoted AMF diversity in the roots of cultivated apple trees in comparison to the other treatments. The application of inorganic fertilizers elevated levels of plant-available P in the soil and selected only a small subset of abundant AMF, resulting in a lower AMF diversity. This may result in AMF communities dominated by inferior AMF mutualists. |
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Language
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English
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Source (journal)
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Plant and soil. - 's-Gravenhage, 1949, currens
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Publication
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's-Gravenhage
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2016
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ISSN
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0032-079X
[print]
1573-5036
[online]
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DOI
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10.1007/S11104-015-2777-X
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Volume/pages
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402
:1-2
(2016)
, p. 291-301
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ISI
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000374404100020
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Full text (Publisher's DOI)
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Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
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