Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 27, 2026

Isolation and Analysis of Microbial Communities in Soil, Rhizosphere, and Roots in Perennial Grass Experiments
Published on: July 24, 2018
Biodegradable mulching and nitrogen fertilization differentially affect AM fungal community structure and functioning
Lin Mao1, Yae Luo1, Jingru Yan1
1College of Life Sciences, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, 730070, China.
Abstract:
Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are central to plant nutrient acquisition and soil functioning, yet how biodegradable mulching and nitrogen (N) fertilization jointly regulate AM fungal communities and maize productivity remains poorly understood. We conducted a factorial field experiment combining biodegradable mulching with five N fertilization rates ranging from 0 to 300 kg N ha⁻¹. Soil properties, plant nutrient status, AM fungal richness and community composition, root length colonization (RLC), and maize yield were assessed across the jointing, silking, and filling stages. N fertilization markedly increased RLC but reduced AM fungal richness, revealing a decoupling between taxonomic diversity and root colonization. Neither mulching nor N fertilization had a significant main effect on AM fungal community composition across the three growth stages, although their interaction was significant at the jointing stage. Beta-diversity partitioning further showed that community dissimilarity was dominated by taxon turnover rather than nestedness. Environmental associations with community composition were growth-stage dependent and strongest at the jointing stage. Partial least squares structural equation modeling further showed that fertilization promoted maize yield through enhanced root colonization and plant N acquisition, whereas mulching affected N uptake through contrasting effects on soil hydrothermal conditions and soil fertility. Collectively, these findings suggest that integrating optimized N fertilization with biodegradable mulching can improve maize productivity while supporting mycorrhizal functioning in water-limited agroecosystems.
Related Concept Videos
The Roles of Bacteria and Fungi in Plant Nutrition
Soil Microbial Ecology
Environmental Applications of Microorganisms
Microbe-Plant Interactions
Microorganisms in Agriculture and Food industry
Microbes and the Nitrogen Cycle

