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Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can transfer substantial amounts of nitrogen to their host plant from organic material
Author(s) -
Leigh Joanne,
Hodge Angela,
Fitter Alastair H.
Publication year - 2009
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 - 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2008.02630.x
Subject(s) - hypha , glomus , symbiosis , glomeromycota , arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi , biology , botany , inoculation , plantago , arbuscular mycorrhizal , spore , mycorrhiza , microcosm , horticulture , bacteria , ecology , genetics
Summary• Nitrogen (N) capture by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi from organic material is a recently discovered phenomenon. This study investigated the ability of two Glomus species to transfer N from organic material to host plants and examined whether the ability to capture N is related to fungal hyphal growth. • Experimental microcosms had two compartments; these contained either a single plant of Plantago lanceolata inoculated with Glomus hoi or Glomus intraradices , or a patch of dried shoot material labelled with 15 N and 13 carbon (C). In one treatment, hyphae, but not roots, were allowed access to the patch; in the other treatment, access by both hyphae and roots was prevented. • When allowed, fungi proliferated in the patch and captured N but not C, although G. intraradices transferred more N than G. hoi to the plant. Plants colonized with G. intraradices had a higher concentration of N than controls. • Up to one‐third of the patch N was captured by the AM fungi and transferred to the plant, while c . 20% of plant N may have been patch derived. These findings indicate that uptake from organic N could be important in AM symbiosis for both plant and fungal partners and that some AM fungi may acquire inorganic N from organic sources.