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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 61(2)

Root hair morphology and mycorrhizal colonisation of pasture species in response to phosphorus and nitrogen nutrition

J. O. Hill A B , R. J. Simpson A D , M. H. Ryan A C and D. F. Chapman B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A CSIRO Plant Industry, PO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.

B School of Land and Environment, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3010, Australia.

C Present address: School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.

D Corresponding author. Email: Richard.Simpson@csiro.au

Crop and Pasture Science 61(2) 122-131 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP09217
Submitted: 23 July 2009  Accepted: 13 November 2009   Published: 8 February 2010

Abstract

Root hairs and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) increase the absorptive surface area of a root and the volume of soil explored and as such are important for nutrient acquisition in infertile soil. Root hair morphology and colonisation by AMF were compared for 10 temperate pasture species, and responses to N and P deficiency characterised. Vulpia spp., Holcus lanatus, and Lolium rigidum had the longest root hairs (range 1.02–2.36 mm) while Trifolium subterraneum had the shortest (~0.27 mm). In contrast, T. subterraneum had a much higher density of root hairs than any of the other species. In response to P deficiency, the length and density of root hairs generally increased; in response to N deficiency, both increases and decreases in the length and density of root hairs were observed. The annual dicotyledons T. subterraneum and Arctotheca calendula had much higher mycorrhizal colonisation on roots grown at low P availability than the grasses. Root colonisation decreased with increasing P availability in all species. A yield advantage from mycorrhizal colonisation was demonstrated only for T. subterraneum when P was deficient. The potential root cylinder volume of each species was calculated as an index of the ability of the species to explore soil. Although all plant species were colonised by AMF, a positive linear relationship was observed between relative P uptake rate from the soil and the rate at which potential root cylinder volumes were developed by most species. Development of potential root cylinder volume also largely explained the critical external P requirements of most species. No such relationships were observed for N. It was concluded that knowledge of root length and the length of root hairs grown in nutrient-poor conditions may be used to predict the potential of many plant species to acquire P, and also their critical external P requirement for maximum growth. However, the study also highlighted some exceptional species.

Additional keywords: Austrodanthonia richardsonii, Bromus molliformis, critical P, Hordeum leporinum, Microleana stipoides, Phalaris aquatica, root cylinder volume.


Acknowledgments

We thank Dr Lyn Abbot and Dr Zakaria Solomain for providing mycorrhizal inoculum, and Anne Cowling for statistical advice. David Marshall and Adam Stefanski provided invaluable technical assistance for some experiments.


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