The effect of added nitrogen and phosphorus on mycorrhizal growth response and infection in Allium schoenoprasum

Abstract

The effect of different levels of phosphorus and nitrogen on mycorrhizal growth response and infection was studied using Allium schoenoprasum and Glomus caledonium. Nitrogen was added as ammonium or nitrate salt. Both the level of soil phosphorus and the level of nitrogen added affected the mycorrhizal growth response, which was greatest at intermediate levels of P and N. The nitrogen source did not affect the mycorrhizal growth response. At low levels of soil P, nitrogen addition did not affect mycorrhizal infection rate. High P and low N also had little influence. However, the combination of high P and high N gave much lower levels of mycorrhizal infection compared with the other treatments. This effect was most pronounced with ammonium N compared with nitrate N.