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Component growth efficiencies of mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal plants
Author(s) -
KOIDE R. T.,
GOFF M. D.,
DICKIE I. A.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1469-8137.2000.00741.x
Subject(s) - lactuca , abutilon , inoculation , biology , mycorrhiza , phosphorus , horticulture , botany , chemistry , symbiosis , bacteria , weed , genetics , organic chemistry
Two mycotrophic species ( Lactuca sativa and Abutilon theophrasti ) and one nonmycotrophic species ( Beta vulgaris ) were grown in a P‐deficient soil, and the effects of mycorrhizal inoculation on three variables that determine growth rate were assessed for each. The phosphorus‐use efficiency (PUE, d W /d P ) is the ratio of d. wt increase to P content increase. Plant P is the amount of P (the limiting resource) controlled by the plant, which can be allocated to various purposes. The phosphorus efficiency index (PEI, d P / P d t ) is the efficiency with which plant P is used to acquire P from the soil. Inoculated and control plants of a given species initially contained the same amount of P because all plants were grown from seed. Mycorrhizal colonization significantly increased the PEI of Lactuca and Abutilon (by 23 and 32%, respectively). As expected, mycorrhizal inoculation did not significantly increase the PEI of Beta . As a result, mycorrhizal inoculation significantly increased the P content of Lactuca and Abutilon , but not Beta . Mycorrhizal colonization decreased the PUE of lettuce, but did not significantly affect that of Abutilon or Beta . Mycorrhizal inoculation therefore slightly increased the growth rate of Lactuca , greatly increased the growth rate of Abutilon , and ultimately had no significant effect on the growth rate of Beta .