Earthworms facilitated pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) growth via enhancing the population and function of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in a low-density polyethylene-contaminated soil
Abstract Microplastics (MPs) produced by the decomposition of plastics exist persistently, interfering with soil fertility and plant nutrition. Both arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and earthworms are beneficial in terrestrial ecosystems, but their interactions under MPs contamination are unclear s...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SpringerOpen
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40538-023-00493-6 |
| _version_ | 1797577632981712896 |
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| author | Yifan Liu Baiping He Qingqing Xiao Xin Wang Xiangui Lin Junli Hu |
| author_facet | Yifan Liu Baiping He Qingqing Xiao Xin Wang Xiangui Lin Junli Hu |
| author_sort | Yifan Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Microplastics (MPs) produced by the decomposition of plastics exist persistently, interfering with soil fertility and plant nutrition. Both arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and earthworms are beneficial in terrestrial ecosystems, but their interactions under MPs contamination are unclear so far. Here, the influences of inoculating earthworms (Eisenia fetida) on indigenous AM fungi and pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) growth were investigated in a vegetable soil treated with 0.1% low-density polyethylene (LDPE), while the specific interactions of earthworm and AM fungus (Funneliformis caledonium) under LDPE contamination were further resolved in another experiment using sterilized soil. Inoculation of earthworms shifted soil AM fungal community structure, replacing the predominant genus Glomus by Paraglomus, and increased the abundance, diversity (i.e., Shannon) index, and root colonization rate of AM fungi by 108, 34.6 and 45.0%, respectively. Earthworms also significantly decreased soil pH, and significantly increased soil alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, shoot biomass and fruit yield of pepper by 394, 82.8 and 188%, respectively. In the sterilized soil, both E. fetida and F. caledonium improved pepper growth, while the latter noticeably increased phosphorus (P) translocation efficiency from root to shoot, and the combination induced the highest soil ALP activity and pepper fruit yield. Furthermore, the significantly interactive effects between earthworm and AM fungus were observed in soil pH and available P concentration, as well as in shoot P concentration and fruit yield of pepper. This study revealed the interaction between earthworms and AM fungi under MPs contamination conditions for the first time, indicating that earthworms could facilitate vegetable growth via enhancing the propagation and P-promoting function of AM fungi in LDPE-contaminated soils. Graphical Abstract |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:11:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f41aec6f6ae24075b13d80491c60658b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2196-5641 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:11:53Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture |
| spelling | doaj.art-f41aec6f6ae24075b13d80491c60658b2023-11-19T12:36:20ZengSpringerOpenChemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture2196-56412023-10-0110111410.1186/s40538-023-00493-6Earthworms facilitated pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) growth via enhancing the population and function of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in a low-density polyethylene-contaminated soilYifan Liu0Baiping He1Qingqing Xiao2Xin Wang3Xiangui Lin4Junli Hu5State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of SciencesSchool of Biology, Food and Environment, Hefei UniversityState Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of SciencesAbstract Microplastics (MPs) produced by the decomposition of plastics exist persistently, interfering with soil fertility and plant nutrition. Both arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and earthworms are beneficial in terrestrial ecosystems, but their interactions under MPs contamination are unclear so far. Here, the influences of inoculating earthworms (Eisenia fetida) on indigenous AM fungi and pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) growth were investigated in a vegetable soil treated with 0.1% low-density polyethylene (LDPE), while the specific interactions of earthworm and AM fungus (Funneliformis caledonium) under LDPE contamination were further resolved in another experiment using sterilized soil. Inoculation of earthworms shifted soil AM fungal community structure, replacing the predominant genus Glomus by Paraglomus, and increased the abundance, diversity (i.e., Shannon) index, and root colonization rate of AM fungi by 108, 34.6 and 45.0%, respectively. Earthworms also significantly decreased soil pH, and significantly increased soil alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, shoot biomass and fruit yield of pepper by 394, 82.8 and 188%, respectively. In the sterilized soil, both E. fetida and F. caledonium improved pepper growth, while the latter noticeably increased phosphorus (P) translocation efficiency from root to shoot, and the combination induced the highest soil ALP activity and pepper fruit yield. Furthermore, the significantly interactive effects between earthworm and AM fungus were observed in soil pH and available P concentration, as well as in shoot P concentration and fruit yield of pepper. This study revealed the interaction between earthworms and AM fungi under MPs contamination conditions for the first time, indicating that earthworms could facilitate vegetable growth via enhancing the propagation and P-promoting function of AM fungi in LDPE-contaminated soils. Graphical Abstracthttps://doi.org/10.1186/s40538-023-00493-6Alkaline phosphataseEisenia fetidaFunneliformis caledoniumMicroplasticsP translocation efficiency |
| spellingShingle | Yifan Liu Baiping He Qingqing Xiao Xin Wang Xiangui Lin Junli Hu Earthworms facilitated pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) growth via enhancing the population and function of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in a low-density polyethylene-contaminated soil Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture Alkaline phosphatase Eisenia fetida Funneliformis caledonium Microplastics P translocation efficiency |
| title | Earthworms facilitated pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) growth via enhancing the population and function of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in a low-density polyethylene-contaminated soil |
| title_full | Earthworms facilitated pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) growth via enhancing the population and function of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in a low-density polyethylene-contaminated soil |
| title_fullStr | Earthworms facilitated pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) growth via enhancing the population and function of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in a low-density polyethylene-contaminated soil |
| title_full_unstemmed | Earthworms facilitated pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) growth via enhancing the population and function of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in a low-density polyethylene-contaminated soil |
| title_short | Earthworms facilitated pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) growth via enhancing the population and function of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in a low-density polyethylene-contaminated soil |
| title_sort | earthworms facilitated pepper capsicum annuum l growth via enhancing the population and function of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in a low density polyethylene contaminated soil |
| topic | Alkaline phosphatase Eisenia fetida Funneliformis caledonium Microplastics P translocation efficiency |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40538-023-00493-6 |
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