Interactive effects of arbuscular mycorrhizae and maize (Zea mays L.) straws on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growth and organic carbon storage in a sandy loam soil

Abstract

A pot experiment was conducted to study interactive effects of arbuscular mycorrhizae (AMs) and maize (Zea mays L.) straws on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growth and organic carbon (C) storage in a sterilized sandy loam soil. The experiment included four treatments: control, inoculation with AM fungus Glomus caledonium (M), amendment with maize straw (S), and amendment with maize straw plus inoculation with G. caledonium (S + M). The inoculation of G. caledonium significantly (P < 0.05) increased wheat root biomass and root-to-straw ratio, but had no significant effects on shoot biomass, grain yield, and soil parameters. The amendment of maize straw significantly (P < 0.05) decreased soil pH, wheat root biomass, and root-to-straw ratio, and significantly (P < 0.05) increased soil invertase and alkaline phosphatase activities, but had no significant effects on shoot biomass, grain yield, soil organic C content, and urease activity. The combined application of G. caledonium and maize straw had no significant effects on root mycorrhizal colonization rate compared to the M treatment, while significantly (P < 0.05) increased wheat root biomass and significantly (P < 0.05) decreased soil pH compared to the S treatment, and also significantly (P < 0.05) increased grain yield, soil organic C content, and urease activity compared to the control. The Two-Way ANOVA also showed interactive effects of G. caledonium and maize straw on soil pH (P < 0.05) and wheat grain yield (P < 0.01), and the redundancy analysis result indicated the potential application of AM fungi in straw-returned fields.