Aphids Influence Soil Fungal Communities in Conventional Agricultural Systems

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Mycology
• Ecology

Background:

• Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form vital symbioses with plants, enhancing nutrient uptake and stress resistance.
• Above-ground herbivores like aphids can influence plant-AMF interactions, but their impact on AMF community structure and extraradical mycelium is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of aphids (Sitobion avenae) on AMF community structure and extraradical mycelium in barley.
• To assess the impact of aphids on the broader soil fungal community in a conventional agricultural system.

Main Methods:

• Field experiment with caged barley plots, inoculated with or without Sitobion avenae.
• AMF-specific and total fungal amplicon sequencing of root and soil samples.
• Assessment of plant biomass, grain nutrient content, and fungal community metrics.

Main Results:

• Aphids did not affect above-ground plant biomass but increased the grain nitrogen to phosphorus ratio.
• No significant impact of aphids on AMF intraradical colonization, soil fungal hyphal density, or AMF community structure was observed.
• A trend indicated increased AMF vesicles and Gigasporaceae abundance, and contrary to hypotheses, increased total fungal community evenness.

Conclusions:

• Aphids can influence soil fungal community composition and function in agricultural settings.
• These findings highlight complex multitrophic interactions between crop pests and soil fungi, with potential implications for ecosystem services.