sustainable-fertilization
Sustainable fertilization refers to nutrient management practices that optimize plant growth and yield while minimizing environmental impacts such as nutrient runoff, soil degradation, and greenhouse gas emissions. This approach matters for plant science because it helps researchers understand how crops efficiently uptake and utilize nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, informing breeding and cultivation strategies that reduce reliance on synthetic inputs. By studying plant-soil-nutrient interactions, scientists can develop methods that maintain long-term soil health and agricultural productivity for future food security.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-07-10
Mycorrhizal fungi in leek roots can mobilize phosphorus from rock phosphate, an abundant but hard-to-use mineral fertilizer, by working alongside specific soil bacteria. This study shows the fungal-bacterial partnership drives real gains in plant growth and phosphorus uptake, suggesting a biological route to cutting synthetic fertilizer use in food production.
Mycorrhizal fungus inoculation significantly increased total leek biomass (p < 0.001), confirming the growth benefit of the symbiosis independent of fertilizer type
Rock phosphate amendment boosted fungal structures inside roots (p = 0.03) and raised shoot phosphorus content (p = 0.013) and photosynthetic activity (p < 0.0001)
Rock phosphate significantly shifted bacterial communities living on fungal threads (p = 0.01), with Planctomycetota and Bacillota forming the core bacteriome on fungal hyphae
