Effects of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Inoculation and Phosphorus (P) Addition on Maize P Utilization and Growth in Reclaimed Soil of a Mining Area

Crop phosphorus (P) and water utilization and growth in mining-disturbed land can be improved through inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Researchers evaluated the effects of AMF and fertilizer P on maize P and water utilization and maize growth in a mining-disturbed loess soil. Compared with non-AMF (NAMF), AMF increased shoot and root P contents by 16.7 and 72.9%, respectively, net photosynthetic rate (Pn) by 12.2%, and P-use efficiency by 44.3%. Regardless of AMF inoculation, maize P content increased linearly with the increases of P rate, whereas root colonization, Pm and shoot biomass responded quadratically to P rate. Measurements of photosynthesis-related parameters decreased with the increases of P rate, but the extents of decline reduced with AMF relative to NAME Water-use efficiency increased linearly with increases of P rate, but the effect was reduced with AME Inoculation of AMF promoted maize growth and reduced the dependency on P addition.