Abstract

BackgroundFerula sinkiangensis is an increasingly endangered medicinal plant. Arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) are symbiotic microorganisms that live in the soil wherein they enhance nutrient uptake, stress resistance, and pathogen defense in host plants. While such AMF have the potential to contribute to the cultivation of Ferula sinkiangensis, the composition of AMF communities associated with Ferula sinkiangensis and the relationship between these fungi and other pertinent abiotic factors still remains to be clarified.ResultsHerein, we collected rhizosphere and surrounding soil samples at a range of depths (0–20, 20–40, and 40–60 cm) and a range of slope positions (bottom, middle, top). These samples were then subjected to analyses of soil physicochemical properties and high-throughput sequencing (Illumina MiSeq). We determined that Glomus and Diversispora species were highly enriched in all samples. We further found that AMF diversity and richness varied significantly as a function of slope position, with this variation primarily being tied to differences in relative Glomus and Diversispora abundance. In contrast, no significant relationship was observed between soil depth and overall AMF composition, although some AMF species were found to be sensitive to soil depth. Many factors significantly affected AMF community composition, including organic matter content, total nitrogen, total potassium, ammonium nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, available potassium, total dissolvable salt levels, pH, soil water content, and slope position. We further determined that Shannon diversity index values in these communities were positively correlated with total phosphorus, nitrate-nitrogen levels, and pH values (P < 0.05), whereas total phosphorus, total dissolvable salt levels, and pH were positively correlated with Chao1 values (P < 0.05).ConclusionIn summary, our data revealed that Glomus and Diversispora are key AMF genera found within Ferula sinkiangensis rhizosphere soil. These fungi are closely associated with specific environmental and soil physicochemical properties, and these soil sample properties also differed significantly as a function of slope position (P < 0.05). Together, our results provide new insights regarding the relationship between AMF species and Ferula sinkiangensis, offering a theoretical basis for further studies of their development.

Highlights

  • Ferula sinkiangensis is an increasingly endangered medicinal plant

  • Arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) species diversity We identified 77 total AMF Operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in our 27 soil samples, which were separated into 9 groups

  • We conducted taxonomic analyses of these representative OTUs, leading us to determine that these fungi were associated with 1 Class, 4 Orders, 4 Families, 4 Genera, and 20 Species, with additional unidentified species having been detected at various taxonomic levels

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Summary

Introduction

Ferula sinkiangensis is an increasingly endangered medicinal plant. Arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) are symbiotic microorganisms that live in the soil wherein they enhance nutrient uptake, stress resistance, and pathogen defense in host plants. Ferula sinkiangensis is a perennial plant found only in the Yining region of Xinjiang province, China that blooms only once, and that produces seedlings each March [1, 2] In years when these plants do not reach the flowering stage, their root systems instead gradually expand and tufted basal leaves develop. This, coupled with its low reproductive rate and the prevalence of pests, diseases, and poor environmental conditions, has led Ferula sinkiangensis to become increasingly endangered [11]. Efforts to conserve this valuable medicinal herb are essential

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