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酸盐（P）。肥料磷的成本约为15亿美元，但由于固定在土壤中而浪费了很多。这种浪费必须停止，土壤储备必须解锁，因为用于化肥制造的磷酸岩供应将在未来70年内耗尽。我们将研究结合两种方法的潜力，以最大限度地提高小麦磷肥的使用-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）真菌的种群，对植物从土壤中吸收磷的方式有很大的影响。基于DNA的AM真菌群落监测新方法在农业管理和AM真菌生物多样性研究中具有重要意义。

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.