Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) is widely viewed as an ecosystem engineer to help plants adapt to adverse environments. However, a majority of the previous studies regarding AMF's eco-physiological effects are mutually inconsistent. To clarify this fundamental issue, we conducted an experiment focused on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants with or without AMF (Funneliformis mosseae) inoculation. Two water regimes (80% and 40% field water capacity, FWC80 (CK) and FWC40 (drought stress) and four planting densities (6 or 12 plants per pot as low densities, 24 or 48 plants per pot as high densities) were designed. AMF inoculation did not show significant effects on shoot biomass, grain yield, and water use efficiency (WUE) under the low densities, regardless of water regimes. However, under the high densities, AMF inoculation significantly decreased shoot biomass, grain yield and WUE in FWC80, while it significantly increased these parameters in FWC40, showing density and/or moisture-dependent effects of AMF on wheat performance. In FWC40, the relationships between reproductive biomass (y-axis) vs. vegetative biomass (x-axis) (R-V), and between grain biomass (y-axis, sink) vs. leaf biomass (x-axis, source) fell into a typical allometric pattern (α > 1, P < 0.001), and the AMF inoculation significantly increased the values of α. Yet in FWC80, they were in an isometric pattern (α ≈ 1, P < 0.001) and AMF addition had no significant effects on α. Similarly, AMF did not significantly change the isometric relationship between leaf biomass (i.e., metabolic rate) and shoot biomass (body size) in FWC80, while it significantly decreased the α of allometric relationship between both of them in FWC40 (α > 1, P < 0.001). We therefore, sketched a generalized model of R-V and sink-source relationships as affected by AMF, in which AMF inoculation might enhance the capabilities of sink acquisition and utilization under drought stress, while having no significant effect under the well watered conditions. Our findings demonstrate dual density- and moisture-dependent effects of AMF on plant development and provide new insights into current ecological applications of AMF as an ecosystem engineer.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
AMF inoculation did not significantly alter wheat shoot biomass, grain yield, or WUE at low densities under either water regime.
- Taxon
- wheat
Triticum aestivume1 - Treatment
- AMF inoculatione0
- Interactor
- Funneliformis mosseae
Funneliformis mosseaee1symbiont - Outcome
- shoot biomass, grain yield, and water use efficiency (WUE)e0
- Direction
- did not show significant effectse0
- Qualifier
- under the low densities, regardless of water regimese0
- Comparator
- without AMFe1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“AMF inoculation did not show significant effects on shoot biomass, grain yield, and water use efficiency (WUE) under the low densities, regardless of water regimes”
e1“wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants with or without AMF (Funneliformis mosseae) inoculation”
Claim · model-written summary
At high density and FWC80, AMF inoculation significantly decreased shoot biomass, grain yield, and WUE.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume1
- Treatment
- AMF inoculatione0
- Interactor
- Funneliformis mosseaeFunneliformis mosseaee1symbiont
- Outcome
- shoot biomass, grain yield and WUEe0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Qualifier
- under the high densitiese0
- Comparator
- without AMFe1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“under the high densities, AMF inoculation significantly decreased shoot biomass, grain yield and WUE in FWC80”
e1“wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants with or without AMF (Funneliformis mosseae) inoculation”
Claim · model-written summary
At high density and FWC40, AMF inoculation significantly increased shoot biomass, grain yield, and WUE.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume1
- Treatment
- AMF inoculatione0
- Interactor
- Funneliformis mosseaeFunneliformis mosseaee1symbiont
- Outcome
- shoot biomass, grain yield and WUEe0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- in FWC40e0
- Comparator
- without AMFe1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“under the high densities, AMF inoculation significantly decreased shoot biomass, grain yield and WUE in FWC80, while it significantly increased these parameters in FWC40”
e1“wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants with or without AMF (Funneliformis mosseae) inoculation”
Claim · model-written summary
Under FWC40, reproductive to vegetative biomass and grain to leaf biomass had allometric relationships.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume1
- Outcome
- typical allometric patterne0
- Value
- α > 1e0
- Setting
- In FWC40e0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In FWC40, the relationships between reproductive biomass (y-axis) vs. vegetative biomass (x-axis) (R-V), and between grain biomass (y-axis, sink) vs. leaf biomass (x-axis, source) fell into a typical allometric pattern (α > 1, P < 0.001)”
e1“wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants”
Claim · model-written summary
AMF inoculation increased the allometric exponents of the two biomass relationships under FWC40.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume1
- Treatment
- AMF inoculatione0
- Interactor
- Funneliformis mosseaeFunneliformis mosseaee1symbiont
- Outcome
- values of αe0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Comparator
- without AMFe1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the AMF inoculation significantly increased the values of α”
e1“wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants with or without AMF (Funneliformis mosseae) inoculation”
Claim · model-written summary
Under FWC80, both biomass relationships were isometric.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume1
- Outcome
- isometric patterne0
- Value
- α ≈ 1e0
- Setting
- FWC80e0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Yet in FWC80, they were in an isometric pattern (α ≈ 1, P < 0.001)”
e1“wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants”
Claim · model-written summary
AMF addition did not significantly change those allometric exponents under FWC80.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume1
- Treatment
- AMF additione0
- Interactor
- Funneliformis mosseaeFunneliformis mosseaee1symbiont
- Outcome
- αe0
- Direction
- no significant effectse0
- Comparator
- without AMFe1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“AMF addition had no significant effects on α”
e1“wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants with or without AMF (Funneliformis mosseae) inoculation”
Claim · model-written summary
Under FWC80, AMF did not significantly change the isometric relationship between leaf and shoot biomass.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume1
- Treatment
- AMFe0
- Interactor
- Funneliformis mosseaeFunneliformis mosseaee1symbiont
- Outcome
- isometric relationship between leaf biomass (i.e., metabolic rate) and shoot biomass (body size)e0
- Direction
- did not significantly changee0
- Comparator
- without AMFe1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“AMF did not significantly change the isometric relationship between leaf biomass (i.e., metabolic rate) and shoot biomass (body size) in FWC80”
e1“wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants with or without AMF (Funneliformis mosseae) inoculation”
Claim · model-written summary
Under FWC40, AMF significantly decreased the leaf to shoot biomass allometric exponent.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume1
- Treatment
- AMFe1
- Interactor
- Funneliformis mosseaeFunneliformis mosseaee1symbiont
- Outcome
- α of allometric relationshipe0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Value
- α > 1e0
- Comparator
- without AMFe1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“it significantly decreased the α of allometric relationship between both of them in FWC40 (α > 1, P < 0.001)”
e1“wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants with or without AMF (Funneliformis mosseae) inoculation”
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See all 12 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.