Impact of phosphorus fertilizer level on the yield and metabolome of goji fruit

Feng Wei,Zhigang Shi,Xiuying Wang,Yajun Wang,Yunxiang Li,Ru Wan,Ken Qin,Guoli Dai,Youlong Cao,Wei An,Jiayue Feng,Libin Yang,Xiaoyi Chen

doi:10.1038/s41598-020-71492-y

Abstract

Goji (Lycium barbarum L.) is a highly medicinal value tree species. The yield and nutritional contents of goji fruit are significant affected by fertilizer level. In this study, we analyzed the yield and nutritional contents change of goji fruit, which planted in pot (vermiculite:perlite, 1:2, v:v) in growth chamber under P0 (32.5 g/per tree), P1 (65 g/per tree), and P2 (97.5 g/per tree). Meanwhile, we utilized an integrated Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography–Electrospray Ionization–Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UPLC–ESI–MS/MS) to analysis of the response of the metabolome in goji fruit to phosphorus level. The results show that the yield of goji fruits had strongly negative correlation with phosphorus level, especially in the third harvest time. The amino acids, flavonoids, polysaccharides, and betaine contents of goji fruits in the first harvest time had obvious correlated with the level of phosphorus level. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment results indicated that the impact of different phosphorus fertilizer levels on each group mainly involved the biosynthesis of flavonoids. The results provide new insights into the theoretical basis of the relationship between the nutritional contents of goji fruits and phosphorus fertilizer level.

Highlights

Reported that the yield of dry goji fruits reached 4,440–8,355 kg/ha, needing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium at 10.95, 5.4, and 1.75 kg, respectively, per 50 kg of dry goji fruit[13,14]
We found that significant differences in the total yield of goji fruits was due to differences observed at the third harvest
The yields of goji fruits under different phosphorus fertilizer levels at different harvest times were analyzed, and we found that the total yield of goji fresh fruit (FF) and dry fruit (DF) were both highest in P0 and lowest in P2

Summary

Introduction

Reported that the yield of dry goji fruits reached 4,440–8,355 kg/ha, needing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium at 10.95, 5.4, and 1.75 kg, respectively, per 50 kg of dry goji fruit[13,14]. Wang et al indicated that the accumulation of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in dry goji fruits at different harvest times was parabolic, and that the peak of nutrient accumulation in goji fruits occurred in July[15]. Some researchers by comparing appearance traits (fruit color, diameter, 100-grain weight, and grain size) of organic and non-organic fresh goji fruits from different harvest times, indicated that the nutritional component contents were higher in goji fruits picked in July[19,20]. We analyzed the yield changes in fresh and dry fruits in response to different phosphorus fertilizer levels for different harvest times and studied the linear correlation between the nutritional contents of goji fruits and the level of phosphorus fertilizer. We utilized an integrated UPLC–ESI–MS/MS detection system to study the change of metabolite profiling under different phosphorus fertilizer levels in order to provide a theoretical basis for the regulation of the yield and nutrients of goji fruits by fertilization

Methods

Results

Conclusion