Differential Responses of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Communities to Long-Term Fertilization in the Wheat Rhizosphere and Root Endosphere
Yuying Ma, Huanchao Zhang, Daozhong Wang, Xisheng Guo, Teng Yang, Xingjia Xiang, Florian Walder, Haiyan Chu
Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are an integral component of rhizospheres, bridging the soil and plant systems and are highly sensitive to fertilization. However, surprisingly little is known about how the response differs between the roots and the surrounding soil. Decreasing arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal diversity under fertilization has been reported, implying a potential reduction in the mutualism between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. However, we found opposing responses to long-term fertilization managements of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the wheat roots and rhizosphere soil. These results suggested that changes in the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community in soils do not reflect those in the roots, highlighting that the root arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community is pertinent to understand arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and their crop hosts' responses to anthropogenic influences.