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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fort Collins, Colorado » Center for Agricultural Resources Research » Soil Management and Sugarbeet Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #365457
Research Project: Management Practices for Long Term Productivity of Great Plains Agriculture

Location: Soil Management and Sugarbeet Research

Title: Differential effects of phosphorus fertilizer on the rhizosphere microbiome of cultivated and non-cultivated potatoes

Author
item PANTIGOSO, HUGO - Colorado State University
item Manter, Daniel
item VIVANCO, JORGE - Colorado State University

Submitted to: Microbial Ecology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/8/2020
Publication Date: 2/3/2020
Citation: Pantigoso, H.A., Manter, D.K., Vivanco, J.M. 2020. Differential effects of phosphorus fertilizer on the rhizosphere microbiome of cultivated and non-cultivated potatoes. Microbial Ecology. 80:169-180. https://doi.org//10.1007/s00248-020-01486-w.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-020-01486-w

Interpretive Summary: There is evidence that shows that phosphorus (P) fertilization has a moderate effect on the rhizosphere microbial composition of cultivated crops. But, how this effect is manifested on wild species of the same crop is not clear. This study compares the impact of P fertilization on rhizosphere bacterial community composition and predicted functions, related to P-cycling genes, in both cultivated and non-cultivated potato (Solanum sp.) plants. It was found that non-cultivated potatoes biomass was more responsive to P fertilization as compared to cultivated plants. Differences in general bacterial community composition patterns under increasing P amendments were subtle for both groups, however, potato genotype significantly influenced community composition with several bacterial families unique to cultivated potatoes. In this study, we observed a higher incidence of bacteria with phosphatase activity in cultivated potato plants under P addition in comparison to non-cultivated. This led us to hypothesize that the excess of P fertilization selects opportunistic microbial members that preferentially release phosphatases in order to acquire the extra P available in the rhizosphere, which results in lower plant-available P and reduced plant growth in cultivated potatoes.

Technical Abstract: There is evidence that shows that phosphorus (P) fertilization has a moderate effect on the rhizosphere microbial composition of cultivated crops. But, how this effect is manifested on wild species of the same crop is not clear. This study compares the impact of P fertilization on rhizosphere bacterial community composition and predicted functions, related to P-cycling genes, in both cultivated and non-cultivated potato (Solanum sp.) plants. It was found that non-cultivated potatoes biomass was more responsive to P fertilization as compared to cultivated plants. Differences in general bacterial community composition patterns under increasing P amendments were subtle for both groups, however, potato genotype significantly influenced community composition with several bacterial families unique to cultivated potatoes. In this study, we observed a higher incidence of bacteria with phosphatase activity in cultivated potato plants under P addition in comparison to non-cultivated. This led us to hypothesize that the excess of P fertilization selects opportunistic microbial members that preferentially release phosphatases in order to acquire the extra P available in the rhizosphere, which results in lower plant-available P and reduced plant growth in cultivated potatoes.