Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are important contributors to plant health and yield in low input systems. We investigated the relative size of the AM fungus community in paired organic and conventional fields from 12 farms in England on a range of soil types. It was found that AMF spore numbers and root colonization potential were significantly higher under organic relative to conventional management, and, for spore numbers, the difference between organic and conventional management increased significantly with time since conversion. There were no overall differences in total C, N, P, available P, Ca, Mg and K between conventional and organic management. AMF spore numbers and root colonization potential were not related to any of the soil chemical parameters. INTRODUCTION Arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) are symbiotic structures formed between plant roots and fungi in the phylum Glomeromycota. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play an important role in plant health by improving nutrient (especially inorganic P) and water uptake by their host plant, and providing protection against soil-borne pathogens (Kurle and Pfleger, 1994). However, many management practices typical of conventional high input systems, particularly P fertilizer application and the use of biocides, are known to be deleterious to AM fungus communities (Kabir et al., 1998; Thingstrup et al., 1998). This study was conducted to determine the relative impact of organic and conventional management on the size of AM fungus communities. MATERIALS AND METHODS Soil was collected from paired organic and conventional fields on twelve English farms on a range of soil types (Table 1). All but one of the samples were from arable/field vegetable systems; Redesdale is an upland grassland system. Within each field five 10x10 m areas were marked out and from within each area 20 soil cores (0-30 cm depth) were collected and pooled to provide a 5 kg sample. Each sample was analysed for total C, N and P, extractable (Olsen) P, and extractable Mg and K. AMF spores were extracted from a sub-sample using sucrose density gradient centrifugation and counted by microscopy. To determine root colonization potential by AM fungi, onion (Allium cepa) was grown in pots containing 100 g fresh weight of soil at 60 % water holding capacity for 14 weeks in the glasshouse; roots were stained with aniline blue (Grace and Stribley, 1991) and the percentage root colonized by AM fungi determined by microscopy. For statistical purposes each farm was considered as a block.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Organic management gave significantly higher AMF spore numbers and root colonization potential than conventional management.
- Taxon
- onion (Allium cepa)
Allium cepae0 - Treatment
- organice1
- Interactor
- AMFe1symbiont
- Outcome
- AMF spore numbers and root colonization potentiale1
- Direction
- highere1
- Comparator
- conventional managemente1
- Setting
- fields from 12 farms in Englande2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“onion (Allium cepa) was grown in pots”
e1“AMF spore numbers and root colonization potential were significantly higher under organic relative to conventional management”
e2“paired organic and conventional fields from 12 farms in England”
Claim · model-written summary
The difference between organic and conventional management in spore numbers grew significantly with time since conversion.
- Taxon
- onion (Allium cepa)Allium cepae0
- Treatment
- time since conversione3
- Outcome
- difference between organic and conventional managemente3
- Direction
- increasede3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“onion (Allium cepa) was grown in pots”
e3“for spore numbers, the difference between organic and conventional management increased significantly with time since conversion”
Claim · model-written summary
No overall difference in total C, N and P was found between organic and conventional management.
- Taxon
- onion (Allium cepa)Allium cepae0
- Treatment
- organice4
- Outcome
- total C, N, Pe4
- Direction
- no_changeinferrede4
- Comparator
- conventionale4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“onion (Allium cepa) was grown in pots”
e4“There were no overall differences in total C, N, P, available P, Ca, Mg and K between conventional and organic management”
Claim · model-written summary
No overall difference in available P, Ca and Mg was found between organic and conventional management.
- Taxon
- onion (Allium cepa)Allium cepae0
- Treatment
- organice4
- Outcome
- available P, Ca, Mge4
- Direction
- no_changeinferrede4
- Comparator
- conventionale4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“onion (Allium cepa) was grown in pots”
e4“There were no overall differences in total C, N, P, available P, Ca, Mg and K between conventional and organic management”
Claim · model-written summary
No overall difference in K was found between organic and conventional management.
- Taxon
- onion (Allium cepa)Allium cepae0
- Treatment
- organice4
- Outcome
- Ke4
- Direction
- no_changeinferrede4
- Comparator
- conventionale4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“onion (Allium cepa) was grown in pots”
e4“There were no overall differences in total C, N, P, available P, Ca, Mg and K between conventional and organic management”
Claim · model-written summary
AMF spore numbers and root colonization potential were not related to soil chemical parameters.
- Taxon
- onion (Allium cepa)Allium cepae0
- Treatment
- soil chemical parameterse5
- Outcome
- AMF spore numbers and root colonization potentiale5
- Direction
- no_changeinferrede5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“onion (Allium cepa) was grown in pots”
e5“AMF spore numbers and root colonization potential were not related to any of the soil chemical parameters”
The same questions in other papers
cultivation system · disease · Allium cepa (onion)Positive and negative results
1 paper in the same direction as this paper · 1 in the opposite direction
- negative
- positive
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.