The association of barley with AM fungi can result in similar yield and grain quality as a long term application of P or P-K fertilizers by enhancing root phosphatase activity and sugars in leaves at tillering
2004
Goicoechea, N. | Sanchez-Diaz, M. | Saez, R. | Iraneta, J.
The annual application of P and K in cereal culture causes environmental pollution, increasing cost in crop production and reduction of plant roots colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). In barley, AMF can improve both nutrient uptake and yield. It is also known that stored assimilates before and after anthesis are a source of carbon for grain filling, tillering being a stage strongly related to yield. The objectives of this work were to determine the influence of P and/or K fertilization on AMF colonization of barley roots and to study the relationship between organic solutes in leaves at tillering and yield. The experimental design included three treatments: (a) 0 P2O5 and 120 K2O (200 kg KCI 60% ha(-1)), (b) 160 P2O5 (360 kg superphosphate 45% ha(-1)) and 120 K2O, and (c) 160 P2O5 and 0 K2O. After 10 years, P and K in shoots, grain yield and protein in grain did not differ among treatments. As AMF can increase P absorption, the mycorrhizal colonization at tillering and harvest was studied. The highest colonization was reached in plants without any P addition, and was associated with the greatest acid phosphatase activity in roots and total soluble sugars (TSS) content in leaves at tillering. By contrast, the lowest starch and protein concentrations were measured in leaves from barley that received the highest P and K additions. Therefore, the association of barley with AMF may have resulted in similar yield and grain quality as the application of P by improving the accumulation of TSS in leaves and root acid phosphatase activity at tillering.
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