Abstract
Abstract
Background and aims
Cover cropping is a strategy to increase soil phosphorus (P) use efficiency in agroecosystems. We investigated adaptations on P acquisition strategies of nine cover crops grown in a calcareous and a non-calcareous chernozem with low available P.
Methods
Through a 108-day pot experiment using a calcareous and a decalcified chernozem, we evaluated black oat (Avena strigosa Schreb.), white lupin (Lupinus albus L.), narrow-leaf lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.), phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia Benth.), berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.), buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench), linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.), ramtil (Guizotia abyssinica [Lf] Cass.) and white mustard (Sinapis alba L.) for their dry biomass production, tissue P concentration and uptake, and effects on soil pH, phosphatase activity, mycorrhiza infection rate and soil P fractions.
Results
Cover crops differed in several parameters between the two soils. Dry biomass varied from 3.3 (white lupin) to 41.6 g pot-1 (mustard). Tissue P concentrations ranged from 0.046% (mustard) to 0.24% (clover). Species affected pH of both soils, ranging from − 0.66 to + 0.24. Acid phosphatase activity was higher in the decalcified soil, while alkaline phosphatases were higher in the calcareous soil. Root mycorrhizal infection rates ranged from 0 to > 50%. Most plants explored soil labile P exclusively, with organic P mineralization being more relevant in the calcareous soil.
Conclusion
We confirm that cover crops favoured distinct strategies to access the predominant soil labile P forms in each soil. Mycorrhizal species were particularly efficient in the decalcified soil, while species with high phosphatase secretion accessed higher Po, especially in the calcareous soil.
Funder
H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Plant Science,Soil Science