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Genetic variations and correlation analysis of N and P traits in Pinus massoniana under combined conditions of N deposition and P deficiency

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Abstract

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Significant genetic variations in N and P nutritional traits exist under combined conditions of soil P deficiency and N deposition and interactively contribute to growth benefits.

Abstract

Forest ecosystems encounter combined conditions of soil phosphorus (P) deficiency and atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition. As such, determining genetic variations and interactions of N and P nutritional traits is important for silviculture. Low N (LN) and high N (HN) were combined with three P treatments in a pot experiment with five full-sib families of Masson pine (Pinus massoniana). The three P treatments are: low P in soil profile (low-P condition, LP), enriched P in topsoil and poor P in subsoil (medium–low-P condition, MLP), and high P in soil profile (high-P condition, HP). P acquisition was more significant for growth benefits than P utilization under LP. Growth response to N was higher under MLP and HP than that under LP because of more balanced plant N:P ratios in the two former conditions. Under HN, there were significant correlation between nitrogen acquisition efficiency (NAE) and phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) and they interactively contributed to growth promotion under N deposition. Significant genetic variations, as well as large heritability of growth and N and P nutritional traits, were detected under all N–P conditions. This finding indicated the feasibility of breeding families with improved nutrient efficiency under N–P conditions.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Start-up Project for Introduced Recruit in Northwest A&F University (Z111021402), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31370671), and the National Key Technology R&D Program in the 12th Five year Plan of China (2012BAD01B02).

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, 712100, Shanxi, People’s Republic of China

      Chenyang Hu, Lei Zhao & Yi Zhang

    2. Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, 73#, Daqiao Road, Fu Yang, Zhe Jiang, People’s Republic of China

      Chenyang Hu, Zhichun Zhou & Yi Zhang

    3. Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, 4300232, Hubei, People’s Republic of China

      Chenyang Hu & Guoqing Dong

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    1. Chenyang Hu
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    2. Lei Zhao
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    Correspondence to Yi Zhang.

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    The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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    Communicated by K. Noguchi.

    C. Hu and L. Zhao are equal contributors.

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    Hu, C., Zhao, L., Zhou, Z. et al. Genetic variations and correlation analysis of N and P traits in Pinus massoniana under combined conditions of N deposition and P deficiency. Trees 30, 1341–1350 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-016-1370-0

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-016-1370-0

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