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Wright, DP; Scholes, JD; Read, DJ. 1998. Effects of VA mycorrhizal
colonization on photosynthesis and biomass
production of Trifolium repens L.. Plant Cell Environ. 21: 209-216.
Address:
DP Wright; UNIV SHEFFIELD; DEPT ANIM & PLANT SCI, ROBERT HILL INST;
SHEFFIELD; S
YORKSHIRE; ENGLAND; S10 2TN
The influence of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (M) colonization
on biomass production and photosynthesis of
Trifolium repens L. was investigated in two experiments in
which the foliar nitrogen and phosphorus contents of
nonmycorrhizal (NM) plants were manipulated to be no lower than
that of M plants. Throughout both experiments
there was a stimulation in the rate of CO2 assimilation of the
youngest, fully expanded leaf of M compared with NM
plants. In addition, M plants exhibited a higher specific leaf
area compared with NM plants, a response that
maximized the area available for CO2 assimilation per unit of
carbon (C) invested. Despite the increased rate of
photosynthesis in M plants, there was no evidence that the
additional C gained was converted to biomass production of
M plants. It is suggested that this additional C gained by
colonized plants was allocated to the mycorrhizal fungus and
that it is the fungus, by acting as a sink for assimilates, that
facilitated the stimulation in the rate of photosynthesis of the plant
partner.
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