Phosphorus and Nitrogen Modulate Plant Performance in Shrubby Legumes from the Iberian Peninsula
We investigated the impact of phosphorus nutrition on plant growth and biological nitrogen fixation in four leguminous plants in the Tribe <i>Genistea</i>. The main objective of the study was to analyze Phosphorus and Nitrogen use efficiency under drought. We also tested for the effects...
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MDPI AG
2019-09-01
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| Series: | Plants |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/8/9/334 |
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| author | María Pérez-Fernández Ángel Míguez-Montero Alexandre Valentine |
| author_facet | María Pérez-Fernández Ángel Míguez-Montero Alexandre Valentine |
| author_sort | María Pérez-Fernández |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We investigated the impact of phosphorus nutrition on plant growth and biological nitrogen fixation in four leguminous plants in the Tribe <i>Genistea</i>. The main objective of the study was to analyze Phosphorus and Nitrogen use efficiency under drought. We also tested for the effects of rhizobial inoculation on plant performance. Plants inoculated with <i>Rhizobium</i> strains isolated from plants of the four species growing in the wild were cropped under controlled conditions in soils with either low P (5 µM) or high P (500 µM). The experiment was replicated in the presence and absence of plant irrigation to test for the effects of drought stress of inoculated and non-inoculated plants under the two P levels of fertilization. Low-P treatments increased nodule production while plant biomass and shoot and root P and N contents where maximum at high P. Low P (5 µM) in the growing media, resulted in greater N accumulated in plants, coupled with greater phosphorus and nitrogen uptake efficiencies. Drought reduced the relative growth rate over two orders of magnitude or more, depending on the combination of plant species and treatment. <i>Genista cinerea</i> had the lowest tolerance to water scarcity, whereas <i>Genista florida</i> and <i>Retama sphaerocarpa</i> were the most resistant species to drought. Drought resistance was enhanced in the inoculated plants. In the four species, and particularly in <i>Echinospartum barnadesii</i>, the inoculation treatment clearly triggered N use efficiency, whereas P use efficiency was greater in the non-inoculated irrigated plants. Nodulation significantly increased in plants in the low P treatments, where plants showed a greater demand for N. The physiological basis for the four species being able to maintain their growth at low P levels and to respond to the greater P supply, is through balanced acquisition of P and N to meet the plants’ nutritional needs. |
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| last_indexed | 2024-12-24T01:03:20Z |
| publishDate | 2019-09-01 |
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| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj.art-ac48bf970e204eb0b9c1e7839bcb203e2022-12-21T17:23:18ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472019-09-018933410.3390/plants8090334plants8090334Phosphorus and Nitrogen Modulate Plant Performance in Shrubby Legumes from the Iberian PeninsulaMaría Pérez-Fernández0Ángel Míguez-Montero1Alexandre Valentine2Department of Physical, Chemical and Natural Systems, University Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Seville, SpainDepartment of Physical, Chemical and Natural Systems, University Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Seville, SpainDepartment of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, 7602 Matieland, South AfricaWe investigated the impact of phosphorus nutrition on plant growth and biological nitrogen fixation in four leguminous plants in the Tribe <i>Genistea</i>. The main objective of the study was to analyze Phosphorus and Nitrogen use efficiency under drought. We also tested for the effects of rhizobial inoculation on plant performance. Plants inoculated with <i>Rhizobium</i> strains isolated from plants of the four species growing in the wild were cropped under controlled conditions in soils with either low P (5 µM) or high P (500 µM). The experiment was replicated in the presence and absence of plant irrigation to test for the effects of drought stress of inoculated and non-inoculated plants under the two P levels of fertilization. Low-P treatments increased nodule production while plant biomass and shoot and root P and N contents where maximum at high P. Low P (5 µM) in the growing media, resulted in greater N accumulated in plants, coupled with greater phosphorus and nitrogen uptake efficiencies. Drought reduced the relative growth rate over two orders of magnitude or more, depending on the combination of plant species and treatment. <i>Genista cinerea</i> had the lowest tolerance to water scarcity, whereas <i>Genista florida</i> and <i>Retama sphaerocarpa</i> were the most resistant species to drought. Drought resistance was enhanced in the inoculated plants. In the four species, and particularly in <i>Echinospartum barnadesii</i>, the inoculation treatment clearly triggered N use efficiency, whereas P use efficiency was greater in the non-inoculated irrigated plants. Nodulation significantly increased in plants in the low P treatments, where plants showed a greater demand for N. The physiological basis for the four species being able to maintain their growth at low P levels and to respond to the greater P supply, is through balanced acquisition of P and N to meet the plants’ nutritional needs.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/8/9/334phosphatenitrogendrought<i>Genistea</i>nutrients use efficiency |
| spellingShingle | María Pérez-Fernández Ángel Míguez-Montero Alexandre Valentine Phosphorus and Nitrogen Modulate Plant Performance in Shrubby Legumes from the Iberian Peninsula Plants phosphate nitrogen drought <i>Genistea</i> nutrients use efficiency |
| title | Phosphorus and Nitrogen Modulate Plant Performance in Shrubby Legumes from the Iberian Peninsula |
| title_full | Phosphorus and Nitrogen Modulate Plant Performance in Shrubby Legumes from the Iberian Peninsula |
| title_fullStr | Phosphorus and Nitrogen Modulate Plant Performance in Shrubby Legumes from the Iberian Peninsula |
| title_full_unstemmed | Phosphorus and Nitrogen Modulate Plant Performance in Shrubby Legumes from the Iberian Peninsula |
| title_short | Phosphorus and Nitrogen Modulate Plant Performance in Shrubby Legumes from the Iberian Peninsula |
| title_sort | phosphorus and nitrogen modulate plant performance in shrubby legumes from the iberian peninsula |
| topic | phosphate nitrogen drought <i>Genistea</i> nutrients use efficiency |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/8/9/334 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mariaperezfernandez phosphorusandnitrogenmodulateplantperformanceinshrubbylegumesfromtheiberianpeninsula AT angelmiguezmontero phosphorusandnitrogenmodulateplantperformanceinshrubbylegumesfromtheiberianpeninsula AT alexandrevalentine phosphorusandnitrogenmodulateplantperformanceinshrubbylegumesfromtheiberianpeninsula |