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The arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis links N mineralization to plant demand

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Abstract

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi facilitate inorganic N (NH4 + or NO3 −) uptake by plants, but their role in N mobilization from organic sources is unclear. We hypothesized that arbuscular mycorrhizae enhance the ability of a plant to use organic residues (ORs) as a source of N. This was tested under controlled glasshouse conditions by burying a patch of OR in soil separated by 20-μm nylon mesh so that only fungal hyphae can pass through it. The fate of the N contained in the OR patch, as influenced by Glomus claroideum, Glomus clarum, or Glomus intraradices over 24 weeks, was determined using 15N as a tracer. AM fungal species enhanced N mineralization from OR to different levels. N recovery and translocation to Russian wild rye by hyphae reached 25% of mineralized N in G. clarum, which was most effective despite its smaller extraradical development in soil. Mobilization of N by G. clarum relieved plant N deficiency and enhanced plant growth. We show that AM hyphae modify soil functioning by linking plant growth to N mineralization from OR. AM species enhance N mineralization differentially leading to species-specific changes in the quality of the soil environment (soil C-to-N ratio) and structure of the soil microbial community.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Yolande Dalpé for providing the AM fungal species. This work was supported by a grant from AAFC-GAPS #348.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Semiarid Prairie Agricultural Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, P.O. Box 1030, 1 Airport Rd., Swift Current, Saskatchewan, S9H 3X2, Canada

    A. Atul-Nayyar, C. Hamel & K. Hanson

  2. Department of Soil Science, University of Saskatchewan, 51 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5A8, Canada

    A. Atul-Nayyar, C. Hamel & J. Germida

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  1. A. Atul-Nayyar
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  2. C. Hamel
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Correspondence to C. Hamel.

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Atul-Nayyar, A., Hamel, C., Hanson, K. et al. The arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis links N mineralization to plant demand. Mycorrhiza 19, 239–246 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00572-008-0215-0

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