Higher temperatures and lower annual rainfall do not restrict, directly or indirectly, the mycorrhizal colonization of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) under rainfed conditions

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 15; no. 11; p. e0241794
• Main Authors: Jerbi, Maroua, Labidi, Sonia, Lounès-Hadj Sahraoui, Anissa, Chaar, Hatem, Ben Jeddi, Faysal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 05.11.2020; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Agricultural ecosystems; Agricultural production; Annual rainfall; Annual rainfall data; Arbuscular mycorrhizas; Arid regions; Barley; Biology and Life Sciences; Botanical research; Cereal crops; Cereals; Chemical properties; Climate change; Colonization; Crops; Earth Sciences; Ecology and Environmental Sciences; Environmental aspects; Environmental effects; Environmental factors; Environmental Sciences; Field investigations; Fungi; Growth; High temperature; Hordeum - growth & development; Hordeum - microbiology; Hordeum vulgare; Life Sciences; Methods; Multivariate statistical analysis; Mycorrhizae; Mycorrhizae - growth & development; Nitrogen; Organic nitrogen; Organic phosphorus; Organic soils; People and Places; Phosphorus; Physical Sciences; Physicochemical properties; Plant growth; Plant Roots - growth & development; Plant Roots - microbiology; Principal Component Analysis; Principal components analysis; Rain; Rainfall; Research and Analysis Methods; Semi arid areas; Soil - chemistry; Soil Microbiology; Soil pH; Soil properties; Soil temperature; Soils; Statistical analysis; Symbiosis; Temperature; Temperature effects; Tunisia; Variance analysis; Tunisia
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241794

Whereas the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in plant growth improvement has been well described in agroecosystems, little is known about the effect of environmental factors on AMF root colonization status of barley, the fourth most important cereal crop all over the world. In order to understand the influence of environmental factors, such as climatic and soil physico-chemical properties, on the spontaneous mycorrhizal ability of barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.), a field investigation was conducted in 31 different sites in sub-humid, upper and middle semi-arid areas of Northern Tunisia. Mycorrhizal root colonization of H . vulgare varied considerably among sites. Principal component analysis showed that barley mycorrhization is influenced by both climatic and edaphic factors. A partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) revealed that 39% (R²) of the total variation in AMF mycorrhizal rate of barley roots was mainly explained by chemical soil properties and climatic characteristics. Whereas barley root mycorrhizal rates were inversely correlated with soil organic nitrogen (ON), available phosphorus amounts (P), altitude (Z), average annual rainfall (AAR), they were directly correlated with soil pH and temperature. Our results indicated that AMF root colonization of barley was strongly related to climatic characteristics than chemical soil properties. The current study highlights the importance of the PLS-SEM to understand the interactions between climate, soil properties and AMF symbiosis of barley in field conditions.