Abstract
Two experiments were carried out in a growth chamber and a naturally lit glasshouse to investigate the influence of seed phosphorus (P) reserves on growth and P uptake by wheat plants (Triticum aestivum cv Krichauff), and their association with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Increased seed P reserves improved plant growth at a range of P supply up to over 100 mg P kg−1 soil. Plants grown from seeds with high P reserves tended to accumulate more P from soil, which was mainly attributed to better root system development. Mycorrhizal colonisation did not significantly affect P uptake of plants grown with low irradiance (in growth chamber). However, in the naturally lit glasshouse, mycorrhizal plants had significantly higher P concentrations than non-mycorrhizal plants. Furthermore, mycorrhizal plants grown from seeds low in P accumulated similar amounts of P compared with those grown from seeds with high P, indicating that mycorrhizal colonisation may overcome the disadvantage of having low seed P reserves in the field.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allsopp N and Stock W D 1992 Mycorrhizas seed size and seedling establishment in a low nutrient environment. In Mycorrhizas in Ecosystems. Eds. DJ Read, DL Lewis, AH Fitter and J. Alexander. CAB International, UK.
Asher C J 1987 Crop nutrition during establishment phase: Role of seed reserves. In Crop Establishment Problems in Queensland: Recognition, Research and Resolutions. Eds. IM Wood, WH Hazard and F From. pp 88–106. Aust. Inst. Agric. Sci., Brisbane, Australia.
Baon J B, Smith S E, Alston A M and Wheeler R D 1992 Phosphorus efficiency of three cereals as related to indegenous mycorrhizal infection. Aust. J. Agric. Res. 43, 479–491.
Bolland M D A and Baker M J 1988 High phosphorus concentrations in seed of wheat and annual medic are related to higher rates of dry matter production of seedlings and plants. Aust. J. Exp. Agric. 28, 765–770.
Bolland M D A, Siddique K H M, Loss S P and Baker M J 1999 Comparing responses of grain legumes, wheat and canola to applications of superphosphate. Nutr. Cycl. Agroecosyst. 53, 157–175.
Boswell E P, Koide R T, Shumway D L and Addy H D 1998 Winter cover cropping, VA mycorrhizal fungi and maize growth and yield. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 67, 55–65.
Caris C, Hordt W, Hawkins H J, Romheld V and George E 1998 Studies of iron transport by arbuscular mycorrhizal hyphae from soil to peanut and sorghum plants. Mycorrhiza 8, 35–39.
Colwell J D 1963 The estimation of the phosphorus fertiliser requirements of wheat in southern New South Wales. Aust. J. Exp. Agric. Anim. Husbandry 3, 190–197.
Dann P R, Derrick J W, Dumaresq D C and Ryan M H 1996 The response of organic and conventionally grown wheat to superphosphate and reactive phosphate rock. Aust. J. Exp. Agric. 36, 71–78.
De Marco D G 1990 Effect of seed weight, and seed phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations on the early growth of wheat seedlings. Aust. J. Exp. Agric. 30, 545–549.
Derrick JW and Ryan M H 1998 Influence of seed phosphorus content on seedling growth in wheat: Implications for organic and conventional farm management in South East Australia. Biol. Agric. Horticul. 16, 223–237.
Gange A C and Ayres R L 1999 On the relation between arbuscular mycorrhizal colonisation and plant 'benefit'. Oikos 87, 615–621.
Giovanetti M and Mosse B 1980 An evaluation of techniques for measuring vesicuar-arbuscular mycorrhizal infection in roots. New Phytol. 84, 489–500.
Graham J H and Abbott L K, 2000 Wheat responses to aggressive and non-aggressive arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Plant Soil 220, 207–218.
Graham J H, Leonard R T and Menge J A 1982 Interaction of light intensity and soil temperature with phosphorus inhibition of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza formation. New Phytol. 91, 683–690.
Hanson WC 1950 The photometric determination of phosphorus in fertilisers using the phosphovanado-molybdate complex. J. Sci. Food Agric. 1, 172–172.
Harper J L 1977 Population biology of plants. Academic Press, London, New York, San Francisco. 892 pp.
Hetrick B A D, Wilson G W T and Cox T S 1993 Mycorrhizal dependence of modern wheat cultivars and ancestors: a synthesis. Can. J. Bot. 71, 512–518.
Hetrick B A D, Wilson GWT, Gill B S and Cox T S 1995 Chromosome location of mycorrhizal responsive genes in wheat. Can. J. Bot. 73, 891–897.
Koide R T 1991 Nutrient supply, nutrient demand and plant response to mycorrhizal infection. New Phytol. 117, 365–386.
Koide R T and Lu X-H 1995 On the cause of offspring superiority conferred by mycorrhizal infection of Abutilon theophrasti. New Phytol. 131, 435–441.
McLaughlin M J, Fillery I R and Till A R 1991 Operation of the phosphorus, sulphur and nitrogen cycles. In Australia's Renewable Resources: Sustainability and Global Change. Eds. RM Gifford and MM Barson. pp 67–116. Bureau of Rural Resources, Canberra, Australia.
Merryweather J and Fitter A 1996 Phosphorus nutrition of an obligately mycorrhizal plant treated with the fungicide benomyl in the field. New Phytol. 132, 307–311.
Phillips J M and Hayman D S 1970 Improved procedures for clearing roots and staining parasitic and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. New Phytol. 124, 481–488.
Ros C, Bell R W and White P F 1997 Effect of seed phosphorus and soil phosphorus applications on early growth of rice (Oryza sativa L.) cv. IR66. Soil Sci. Plant Nutr. 43, 499–509.
Ryan M H and Ash J E 1996 Colonisation of wheat in southern New South Wales by vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi is significantly reduced by drought. Aust. J. exp. Agric. 36, 563–569.
Shumway D L and Koide R T 1994 Reproductive respones to mycorrhizal colonisation of Abutilon theophrasti Medic. Plants grown for two generations in the field. New Phytol. 128, 219–224.
Smith S E 1980 Mycorrhizas of autotrophic higher plants. Biol. Rev. 55, 475–510.
Smith S E and Gianinazzi-Pearson V 1990 Phosphate uptake and arbuscular activity in mycorrhizal Allium cepa L.: Effects of photon irradiance and phosphate nutrition. Aust. J. Plant Physiol. 17, 177–188.
Smith S E and Read D J 1997 Mycorrhizal symbiosis. 2nd edn. Cambridge, UK: Academic Press.
Son C L and Smith S E 1988 Mycorrhizal growth response: Interactions between photon irradiance and phosphorus nutrition. New Phytol. 108, 305–314.
Teixeira M G, Guerra J G M, Lopes de Almeida D, Araujo A P and Franco A A 1999 Effect of seed phosphorus concentration on nodulation and growth of three common bean cultivars. J. Plant Nutr. 22, 1599–1611.
Thomson C J and Bolger T P 1993 Effects of phosphorus concentration on the emergence and growth of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum). Plant Soil 155/156, 285–288.
Whitelaw M A, Harden T J and Bender G L 1997 Plant growth promotion of wheat inoculated with Penicillium radicum sp. nov. Aust. J. Soil Res. 35, 291–300.
Zhang M, Nyborg M and Mc Gill WB 1990 Phosphorus concentration in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) seed: Influence on seedling growth and dry matter production. Plant Soil 122, 79–83.
Zhu Y G, Howes N K and Smith S E 2001 Phosphorus uptake and utilisation efficiencies of different wheat cultivars based on a sand-culture screening system. Commun. Soil Sci. Plan. (submitted). Section editor: J.H. Graham
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zhu, YG., Smith, S.E. Seed phosphorus (P) content affects growth, and P uptake of wheat plants and their association with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Plant and Soil 231, 105–112 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010320903592
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010320903592