Disentangling the contributions of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to soil multifunctionality

Soil multifunctionality represents a range of soil processes driven by the interactions between soil abiotic and biotic components.As a group of ubiquitous fungi that form mutualistic symbiotic associations with a vast array of terrestrial plants,arbuscular mycorrhizal(AM)fungi may play a critical role in maintaining soil multifunctionality,but the characteristics of their contributions remain to be unraveled.This mini review aims to disentangle the contributions of AM fungi to soil multifunctionality.We provide a framework of concepts about AM fungi making crucial contributions to maintaining multiple soil functions,including primary productivity,nutrient cycling,water regulation and purification,carbon and climate regulation,habitat for biodiversity,disease and pest control,and pollutant degradation and detoxification,via a variety of pathways,particularly contributing to soil and plant health.This review contends that AM fungi,as a keystone component of soil microbiome,can govern soil multifunctionality,ultimately promoting ecosystem services.

Green intelligent fertilizers——A novel approach for aligning sustainable agriculture with green development

This review addresses the growing disparity between the current state of fertilizer production in China and the evolving demands of green agriculture in the 21st century. It explores major advances in fertilizers, proposes the concept of green intelligent fertilizers and develops new strategies aligned with the principles of green development in fertilizer industry and agriculture.Green intelligent fertilizers may be designed to maximize the synergistic effects among plants, soils, microorganisms, nutrient sources and the environment. This concept emphasizes the integration of industry and agriculture toward green development for entire industry chain, using an interdisciplinary approach to drive the green transformation of fertilizer industry, and promote green and sustainable development of agriculture. By bridging the gap between the current state of fertilizer industry and a growing need for environmentally responsible agricultural practices, this review highlights a path toward harmonizing fertilizer production with the imperatives of green agriculture.

The necessity to expand mycorrhizal boundaries:Including the fungal endophytes that possess key mycorrhizal criteria

Dear editor,This letter aims to urge the necessity to expand the boundaries of mycorrhizal symbiosis to include certain root fungal endophytes.The conventional classification of mycorrhizal associations emphasizes specialized fungal structures at the root-fungus interface that are involved in nutrient exchange between symbionts.

Spatiotemporal variation and evaluation of agriculture green development: a case study of Hainan Province, China

The realization of green and sustainable development of agriculture is the common pursuit all over the world. Agriculture green development(AGD)program has been proposed as a sustainable development strategy in China,but insufficient is known about the quantitative evaluation of spatiotemporal variation in AGD at the regional scale. This study aimed to assess spatiotemporal patterns in AGD at the county/city-based regional level. For this purpose, a systematic index evaluation system was developed to assess the performance of socioeconomic, food production and environmental components in a key economic region(Hainan Province) of China. Hainan improved its AGD index(representing the overall performance toward achieving AGD) from 38.8 in 1988 to 40.9 in 2019. The socioeconomic development and agricultural productivity have improved with time;environmental quality declined due to overuse of chemicals from 1988 to 2013, but steadily improved after 2013, indicating positive effects of reducing chemical input. There was a higher AGD index in the coastal vs. central regions and the southern vs. northern regions. Scenarios featuring improved nutrient management or optimized diet structure and reduced waste improved economic benefits and social productivity while concurrently reducing environmental degradation. These results provide new insights for the future development of green and sustainable agriculture and formulation of agricultural policies in Hainan Province of China and even other developing countries that are facing or will soon face similar challenges.

磷和外源生长素对白羽扇豆(Lupinus albus L.)根形态和生理特性的影响

白羽扇豆(Lupinus albus L.)对磷和生长素表现出高度的根系形态和生理可塑性反应,然而磷和生长素如何调节根形态和生理特性以及它们对根形态和生理的交互效应尚不清楚.本研究通过水培实验旨在评价磷(0或250μmol/L)和生长素(10-8mol/LNAA)对白羽扇豆根特性的影响及其交互效应.结果表明,缺少磷和生长素施用均明显改变了白羽扇豆的根形态(主根长度减少、一级侧根数目增加和排根大量形成)和生理特性(质子释放、柠檬酸分泌和酸性磷酸酶活性增加).外源生长素的施用增加了缺磷白羽扇豆根系的响应度和敏感性.磷和生长素对白羽扇豆根系形态和生理具有明显的交互作用.主成分分析表明,磷解释了根特性64.8%的信息,而生长素解释了21.3%的信息,表明磷供应对白羽扇豆根特性的影响比外源生长素施用更为重要.白羽扇豆能够通过协调根系形态和生理对外部刺激(如缺磷和施用生长素)作出应答,以及优化根形态和生理之间的关系从而最大化获取磷素资源.

Toxicity of cadmium and its competition with mineral nutrients for uptake by plants:A review

Cadmium(Cd)is a toxic heavy metal occurring in the environment naturally and is also generated through various anthropogenic sources and acts as a pollutant.Human health is affected by Cd pollution in farmland soils because food is the main source of Cd intake in the non-smoking population.For crops,Cd toxicity may result from a disturbance in uptake and translocation of mineral nutrients and disturbance in plant metabolism,inhibiting plant growth and development.However,plants have Cd tolerance mechanisms,including restricted Cd uptake,decreased Cd root-to-shoot translocation,enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities,and increased production of phytochelatins.Furthermore,optimal supply of mineral nutrients is one of the strategies to alleviate the damaging effects of Cd on plants and to avoid its entry into the food chain.The emerging molecular knowledge contributes to understanding Cd uptake,translocation,and remobilization in plants.In this review,Cd toxicity and tolerance mechanisms,agricultural practices to minimize Cd accumulation,Cd competition with essential elements(calcium,copper,iron,zinc,and manganese),and genes associated with Cd uptake are discussed in detail,especially regarding how these mineral nutrients and genes play a role in decreasing Cd uptake and accumulation in crop plants.

Influence of ammonium and nitrate supply on growth, nitrate reductase activity and N-use efficiency in a natural hybrid pine and its parents

Selection of tree species with a high capacity to assimilate N and efficiently utilize N resources would facilitate the success of initial tree seedling establishment in infertile soils.The preference for N forms was tested using three pine species(Pinus densata,Pinus tabuliformis and Pinus yunnanensis).Pinus densata is a natural diploid hybrid between P.tabuliformis and P.yunnanensis.Methods Seedlings of three pine species were supplied with nitrate-N,ammonium-N(at two different pH regimes)or combined ammonium and nitrate as a nitrogen source in perlite culture in a controlled environment.Important Findings Seedlings of P.densata had higher total biomass and net photosynthesis when supplied with nitrate-N and ammonium nitrate than with ammonium-N.In parental species,total biomass and net photosynthesis for P.yunnanensis seedlings was higher in ammonium-N than in nitrate-N,whereas the other parental species P.tabuliformis had the highest total biomass among species for all treatments except ammonium with CaCO_(3).Most morphological traits in P.densata seedlings were intermediate between its two parental species.However,N-use efficiency and photosynthetic N-use efficiency of P.densata significantly exceeded both parents when supplied with nitrate-N and ammonium nitrate.The results suggested that the diploid hybrid tree species P.densata has a preference for nitrate and is not well adapted to ammonium-N as a sole nitrogen source regardless of the growth medium pH.Based on changes in environmental conditions,such as predicted future temperature increases in high altitude areas associated with climate change,P.densata is likely to be increasingly competitive and have wide adaptation in high altitude regions.