Nitrogen availability drives the effect of Glomus intraradices on the growth of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) plants.

BACKGROUND: On the one hand, the critical nitrogen (N) content curve allows the minimal N content necessary for maximum growth rate at any stage of crop development to be predicted. On the other hand, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) transfer N from the soil to the plants and its growth and activity depends on the availability of soil N. Our objective was to investigate how the availability of N in the soil affects growth and the accumulation of N in inoculated strawberry plants. Root colonisation, dry matter accumulation and the critical N% curve were studied during growth of inoculated and non-inoculated strawberry plants grown at several N levels. RESULTS: (1) The increase in the availability of N augmented root colonisation by AMF. (2) The effect of AMF on plant growth depended on N availability and the plant developmental status. (3) The critical %N curves were fitted by the following equations: %N = 2.81× (DM)(-0.21) (r² = 0.81) and %N = 2.89× (DM)(-0.32) (r² = 0.80) for inoculated and non-inoculated plants, respectively (where DM is the weight of leaf dry matter, in g plant⁻¹). CONCLUSION: N availability was a key factor for root colonisation by AMF and for its contribution to plant growth. The patterns of the critical %N curves suggest that AMF modified the photosynthetic N use efficiency.

Root colonisation by the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus intraradices alters the quality of strawberry fruits (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) at different nitrogen levels.

BACKGROUND: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) increase the uptake of minerals from the soil, thus improving the growth of the host plant. Nitrogen (N) is a main mineral element for plant growth, as it is an essential component of numerous plant compounds affecting fruit quality. The availability of N to plants also affects the AMF-plant interaction, which suggests that the quality of fruits could be affected by both factors. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of three N treatments (3, 6 and 18 mmol L(-1)) in combination with inoculation with the AMF Glomus intraradices on the quality of strawberry fruits. The effects of each factor and their interaction were analysed. RESULTS: Nitrogen treatment significantly modified the concentrations of minerals and some phenolic compounds, while mycorrhization significantly affected some colour parameters and the concentrations of most phenolic compounds. Significant differences between fruits of mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants were found for the majority of phenolic compounds and for some minerals in plants treated with 6 mmol L(-1) N. The respective values of fruits of mycorrhizal plants were higher. CONCLUSION: Nitrogen application modified the effect of mycorrhization on strawberry fruit quality.