Comparison of Rhizosphere Impacts of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Genotypes Differing in Phosphorus Efficiency on Acidic and Alkaline Soils

Abstract

A glasshouse study was conducted to compare the rhizosphere characteristics of two wheat genotypes, Xiaoyan54 (XY54) and Jing411 (J411) on two soils. The results showed that supplying phosphorus (P) increased the biomass and P content of two wheat lines significantly on alkaline soil, but P fertilization altered their biomass and P content on acidic soil only slightly. XY54 decreased rhizosphere pH more significantly than J411 on Fluvo-aquic soil without P addition, but similar acidity ability was shown when P applied. On red soil, two wheat genotypes showed similar rhizosphere pH. Two wheat lines showed similar rhizoshphere phosphatase activity on alkaline soil, whereas XY54 demonstrated greater rhizoshphere phosphatase activity than J411 on acidic soil. Rhizoshphere phosphatase activities of two wheat lines on acidic soil were greater than alkaline soil. Therefore, stronger acidity on alkaline soil and greater phosphatase activity on acidic soil are principal rhizosphere mechanisms for XY54 to adapt to low-P soils.

Keywords:

• Genotype
• phosphatase activity
• rhizosphere acidity
• soil type
• wheat

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (2007CB109302 and 2005CB121102) and the Special Fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest (201103007).