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Low phosphorus and competition affect Chinese fir cutting growth and root organic acid content: does neighboring root activity aggravate P nutrient deficiency?

  • Soils, Sec 2 • Global Change, Environ Risk Assess, Sustainable Land Use • Research Article
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

In order to manage Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook.) plantations over the long term, it is critical to understand the species’ response to intraspecific competition at sites with low phosphorus (P). The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of neighbor competition on the growth of Chinese fir under low P conditions, as well as on the morphology and organic acid content of the root tissues.

Materials and methods

We investigated the growth, dry matter accumulation, and organic acid content and type in root tips of Chinese fir cuttings in a greenhouse experiment, which was a design with three factors including competition intensity (single, mild, moderate, and severe), P supply level (0, 6, and 12 mg kg−1 KH2PO4), and competition time (50, 100, and 150 days).

Results and discussion

There were no significant interaction effects between all three or any two factors on shoot growth (height or root collar diameter), biomass accumulation, or root:shoot ratio. However, the interactive effects between competition time and competition intensity on all root morphological traits were significant, as was the interaction between P supply and competition (e.g., intensity, time) on root organic acid concentration. The number of organic acid types gradually decreased from the first 50 to 150 days under no P supply and low P supply treatment. Interestingly, capric acid was detected in severe and moderate competition treatments, but not detected under mild competition or in single plant controls at low P. Also, citric acid was detected in P supply treatments (6 and 12 mg kg−1), but not detected in the no P treatment.

Conclusions

Mild early-stage intraspecific competition somewhat alleviated the suppressive effect of low P supply on the height of Chinese fir. Seedlings adjusted their shoot and root growth separately to accommodate stress from low P or adjacent competition. Low P supply and competition intensity additively accelerated root volume proliferation, but interactively enhanced organic acid concentration in root tips.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Weilin Liao and Zhiying Zou for their help in the laboratory and Robert Guy and Syed Moazzam Nizami for reviewing the article.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31370531 and U1405211), International Science and Technology Cooperation Program of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University (KXB16008A), and China Scholarship Council.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China

    Pengfei Wu, Guangyu Wang, Taimoor Hassan Farooq, Qi Li, Xianhua Zou & Xiangqing Ma

  2. Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada

    Pengfei Wu & Guangyu Wang

Authors
  1. Pengfei Wu
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  2. Guangyu Wang
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  3. Taimoor Hassan Farooq
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  4. Qi Li
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  5. Xianhua Zou
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  6. Xiangqing Ma
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Correspondence to Xiangqing Ma.

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Responsible editor: Hailong Wang

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Wu, P., Wang, G., Farooq, T.H. et al. Low phosphorus and competition affect Chinese fir cutting growth and root organic acid content: does neighboring root activity aggravate P nutrient deficiency?. J Soils Sediments 17, 2775–2785 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-017-1852-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-017-1852-8

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