Novel technologies to resolve interactions between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, phosphate fertilisers and root disease in wheat production

澳大利亚的土壤通常缺乏磷。化肥P的成本约为15亿美元，但由于固定在土壤中，很多都被浪费了。必须停止这种浪费，释放土壤储备，因为用于制造化肥的磷矿供应将在未来约70年内耗尽。我们将研究结合两种方法最大限度地利用小麦的磷肥的潜力-应用新的液体肥料配方和土壤管理，以增加有益的丛枝菌根(AM)真菌的数量，这些真菌对植物从土壤中吸收磷的方式有很大影响。一种新的基于DNA的AM真菌群落监测方法将在农业管理和AM真菌生物多样性研究中得到应用。

Soils in Australia are often phosphate (P) deficient. Fertiliser P costs ~$1.5 billion pa, yet much is wasted because of fixation in soils. This waste must be stopped and soil reserves unlocked, because supplies of rock phosphate for fertiliser manufacture will run out in the next ~70 years. We will investigate the potential of combining two approaches to maximise P fertiliser use by wheat - application of new, fluid fertiliser formulations and soil management to increase populations of beneficial arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi that have large effects on the way plants absorb P from soil. A new DNA-based method to monitor AM fungal communities will be applicable both in agricultural management and studies of AM fungal biodiversity.