Summary
This controlled microcosm study examined how barley genotype richness and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) richness interact to influence crop performance under drought. Contrary to expectations that higher diversity would enhance drought tolerance, the results revealed that barley and AMF richness did not mitigate drought impacts on plant yield. Notably, antagonistic interactions between barley and AMF may emerge under drought conditions, particularly at higher AMF richness, suggesting that climate-change-induced shifts in plant–soil biotic interactions could have unexpected consequences for agricultural systems.
UK applicability
The findings are relevant to UK cereal production under projected climate scenarios involving increased drought frequency. However, the controlled microcosm design may not fully capture field-scale complexity, soil conditions, and UK-specific barley varieties and native AMF communities, limiting direct applicability to UK farming practice without supporting field validation.
Key measures
Plant yield, root biomass, mycorrhizal colonisation rate, AMF performance (richness effects)
Outcomes reported
The study measured barley yield, root biomass, mycorrhizal colonisation rates, and AMF performance across fully crossed diversity gradients of barley genotypes and AMF species under ambient and drought conditions in experimental microcosms.
Topic tags
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