Summary
This controlled microcosm study examined whether increasing genetic diversity in barley and functional diversity in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi communities could buffer crop performance against drought stress. Contrary to initial expectations, higher diversity of both barley genotypes and AMF species did not confer drought tolerance; instead, antagonistic interactions between the plant and fungal partners emerged under water stress, suggesting that management strategies relying solely on enhancing soil biotic diversity may face unexpected limitations under climate change.
UK applicability
The findings are potentially relevant to UK cereal production given the increasing frequency of drought events, though the microcosm conditions may not fully capture field-scale complexity. Results suggest caution in assuming that biodiversity enhancement alone will provide climate resilience in barley cultivation, and further field validation would be needed to inform UK agricultural adaptation strategies.
Key measures
Plant yield, root biomass, mycorrhizal colonisation rate, AMF performance, barley genotype richness, AMF species richness
Outcomes reported
The study measured barley yield, root biomass, mycorrhizal colonisation rates, and AMF performance under fully crossed diversity gradients of barley genotypes and AMF species in ambient and drought conditions. Results showed that whilst both barley and AMF richness altered plant and fungal performance, they did not mitigate drought stress effects, and antagonistic interactions between barley and AMF may occur under drought, particularly at higher AMF richness.
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