Mycorrhizal Fungal Diversity and Its Relationship with Soil Properties in Camellia oleifera

Rui-Cheng Liu,Zhi-Yan Xiao,Qiang-Sheng Wu,Elsayed Fathi Abd_Allah,Abeer Hashem

doi:10.3390/agriculture11060470

Rui-Cheng Liu, Zhi-Yan Xiao + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11060470

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Journal: Agriculture	Publication Date: May 21, 2021
Citations: 19	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Yangtze University, King Saud University

Abstract

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are well known for their important physiological implications on diversified host plants, while the information on AMF diversity and its relationship with soil properties of Camellia oleifera is yet not fully understood. In the proposed study, high-throughput sequencing of small subunit ribosomal RNA was performed to analyze the AMF diversity of the rhizosphere and endosphere of 20-year-old C. oleifera Xianglin in the field at Wuhan (China) and their relationship with soil physico-chemical properties. As high as 30.73–41.68% of the roots of C. oleifera were colonized by indigenous AMF with a spore density of 66–111 spores/10 g soil. The surface soil (0–20 cm) showed significantly higher root fungal colonization, spore density, soil hyphal length, and easily extractable glomalin-related soil protein content than the sub-surface soil (20–40 cm). Soil pH value, available K, and NO3−-N content affected the root and soil mycorrhizal development, whilst soil pH proved to be the most influential soil property governing their variability. A total of 467 OTUs associated with AMF were detected from the endosphere and rhizosphere, representing 10 genera and 138 species, of which 295 OTUs and 9 genera were jointly observed. The genus Glomus displayed maximum relative abundance (>86%) in both endosphere and rhizosphere. Scutellospora was detected in the endosphere, but absent in the rhizosphere. The endosphere recorded a relatively higher number of OTUs and alpha diversity indices (Shannon, Simpson, and PD index) of AMF than rhizosphere. Our study, hence, revealed that C. oleifera in fields was mainly colonized by Glomus, coupled with comparatively greater AMF diversity in the endosphere than in the rhizosphere, governed predominantly by soil pH, NO3−-N content, and available K content.

Highlights

Camellia oleifera is an evergreen woody edible oil plant, widely distributed in the subtropical areas of southern China, and less frequently in northern Southeast Asia [1].Seeds of C. oleifera are extracted for oils, as well known for fragrance, nutritive value, and long storage
In addition to growth promotion, Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) (e.g., Funneliformis mosseae) significantly improved root morphology, photosynthetic rate, and leaf and root P concentration of C. oleifera [16]. These results demonstrated the positive benefits of AMF on multiple physiological functions of C. oleifera
AMF spores, root AMF colonization, and soil mycorrhizal hyphae were found in C. oleifera, indicating that C. oleifera is a mycorrhiza-dependent plant, in agreement with the earlier findings of Li and Chen [14]

Summary

Introduction

Camellia oleifera is an evergreen woody edible oil plant, widely distributed in the subtropical areas of southern China, and less frequently in northern Southeast Asia [1]. Seeds of C. oleifera are extracted for oils (tea oil), as well known for fragrance, nutritive value, and long storage. Tea oil is a high-quality edible oil that protects the liver from oxidative damage caused by CCl4 [2]. C. oleifera is used in the industry as a pesticide as well as the fertilizer, with the ability to improve water storage capacity of farmland and pests’ suppressive ability in rice fields [3,4]. The demand for C. oleifera has increased greatly in recent years, encouraging the planting area increasing by leaps and bounds. The seed yield of C. oleifera is not high, reported as 21–25 t/hm2 [6]

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