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Temporal or spatial arrangements of cover crops to promote arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization and P uptake of upland crops grown after nonmycorrhizal crops

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Abstract

Aims

A field experiment was conducted where maintenance of indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal populations was attempted using AM host cover crops arranged temporally or spatially during growth of nonmycorrhizal crops.

Methods

To arrange AM hosts temporally, sunflower or oat was grown as a cover crop after non-host cropping (cabbage) or fallowing. In order to arrange AM hosts spatially, red clover, white clover or vetch was intercropped during growth of non-host cabbage.

Results

The AM colonization and growth of maize with previously introduced sunflower or oat were much greater than those without introduction of cover crops or those with introduction of non-host cover crops. The AM colonization and yield of winter wheat grown after cabbage with AM host intercropping were greater than those after cabbage only cropping, suggesting that arrangement of AM hosts between cabbage rows is effective for maintaining the AM fungal population in soil during non-host cropping.

Conclusions

Mycorrhizal hosts cropped after or during non-host cropping is an effective means to increase indigenous AM fungal populations. The results show that AM colonization, P uptake and productivity of crops after cultivation of nonmycorrhizal crops can be improved by arranging AM hosts temporally or spatially as cover crops.

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Abbreviations

AM:

Arbuscular mycorrhizal

DAP:

Days after planting

CA-FL:

Cabbage cropping followed by fallowing

CA-SF:

Cabbage cropping followed by sunflower cropping

FL-OT:

Fallowing followed by oat cropping

FL-BW:

Fallowing followed by buckwheat cropping

CA:

Cabbage without intercropping

CA-VT:

Cabbage intercropped with vetch

CA-RC:

Cabbage intercropped with red clover

CA-WC:

Cabbage intercropped with white clover

CA-RC (J):

Cabbage intercropped with red clover from June (40 days after cabbage planting)

RC:

Red clover instead of cabbage

AZ:

Adzuki bean instead of cabbage

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by the research program “New Crop Rotation Systems of Upland Crops Including Vegetables in Large-Scale Farming Area” from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan.

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Correspondence to Toshihiko Karasawa.

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Responsible Editor: Erik J. Joner.

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Karasawa, T., Takebe, M. Temporal or spatial arrangements of cover crops to promote arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization and P uptake of upland crops grown after nonmycorrhizal crops. Plant Soil 353, 355–366 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-011-1036-z

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