Linking root traits to superior phosphorus uptake and utilisation efficiency in three Fabales in the Core Cape Subregion, South Africa

In the low-P soil of the fynbos biome, plants have evolved several morphological and physiological P acquisition and use mechanisms, leading to variable uptake and use efficiencies. We expected that plants grown in low-P soils would exhibit greater P acquisition traits and hypothesised that Aspalathus linearis (Burm. f.) R. Dahlgren, a cluster-root-forming species adapted to drier and infertile soils, would be the most efficient at P acquisition compared with other species. Three fynbos Fabales species were studied: A. linearis and Podalyria calyptrata (Retz.) Willd, both legumes, and Polygala myrtifolia L., a nonlegume. A potted experiment was conducted where the species were grown in two soil types with high P (41.18mgkg-1) and low P (9.79mgkg-1). At harvest, biomass accumulation, foliar nutrients and P acquisition mechanisms were assessed. Polygala myrtifolia developed a root system with greater specific root length, root hair width and an average root diameter that exuded a greater amount of citrate and, contrary to the hypothesis, exhibited greater whole-plant P uptake efficiency. However, P. calyptrata had higher P use efficiency, influenced by N availability through N2 fixation. Specific root length, root length and root:shoot ratio were promising morphological traits for efficient foraging of P, whereas acid phosphatase exudation was the best physiological trait for solubilisation of P.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2018

Erschienen:

2018

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:45

Enthalten in:

Functional plant biology : FPB - 45(2018), 7 vom: 04. Juni, Seite 760-770

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

MacAlister, Dunja [VerfasserIn]
Muasya, A Muthama [VerfasserIn]
Chimphango, Samson B M [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Journal Article

Anmerkungen:

Date Revised 15.04.2020

published: Print

Citation Status PubMed-not-MEDLINE

doi:

10.1071/FP17209

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM308760360