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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Physiology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1405638

Integrative analyses of morpho-physiological, biochemical and transcriptomic reveal the seedling growth response of Pinus yunnanensis to nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization

Provisionally accepted
Junfei Xu Junfei Xu 1,2Xiyan Li Xiyan Li 1,2*Shi Chen Shi Chen 1,2*Lin Chen Lin Chen 1,2Junrong Tang Junrong Tang 1,2*Peizhen Chen Peizhen Chen 1,2*Nianhui Cai Nianhui Cai 1,2*Yulan Xu Yulan Xu 1,2*
  • 1 Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Southwest China, Kunming, China
  • 2 Key Laboratory for Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization in the Southwest Mountains of China, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Appropriate N and P fertilization is critical for plant growth and increasing plant production. Pinus yunnanensis, a silvicultural tree in southwestern China, faces economic and ecological limitations due to nutrient deficiency in soils in its distribution areas. The slow growth of this species during the seedling stage exacerbates these issues. Therefore, it is important to realize the regulating effects of N and P proportioning fertilization on seedling growth to enhance nutrient use efficiency. In this study, variations in morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics of seedlings were analyzed under nine treatments of NP proportioning in an open nursery. The growth of height and basal diameter increased and showed an approximate tendency in all treatments. The maximum biomass accumulation was observed at 480 d after treatment in roots of T5 (application N 0.4 g• per -1 and P 3 g• per -1 ), stems of T5, leaves of T9 (application N 0.8 g• per -1 and P 6 g• per -1 ), aboveground parts of T9 and individuals of T5. The chlorophyll content peaked in the leaves at 120 days and it was correlated with the peak levels of N, P and K in leaves. The content and reserves of nutrient elements in the organs of seedlings, when subjected to NP proportioning, were significantly higher than those in unfertilized seedlings. The analysis of nutrient utilization efficiency revealed that T5 demonstrated superior performance in seedlings growth. Appropriate fertilization dosage of N and P for seedlings in this study was 0.32~0.58 g• per -1 and 3.02~4.95 g• per -1 respectively. Transcriptomic sequencing revealed that there were 2301 DEGs between T5 and T1, which were involved in uptake and assimilation of nutrients, biosynthesis of phytohormones and secondary metabolites, as well as photosynthesis. Additionally, the abundance of genes involved in cell cycle and cell wall extension were upregulated, which were potentially correlated with enhanced growth of seedlings. In conclusion, this study provides comprehensive information on the response of seedlings to varying proportions of N and P, and may promote the growth of P. yunnanensis seedlings by optimizing the proportion of N and P in fertilizers.

    Keywords: Pinus yunnanensis, Proportioning fertilization, Growth, biomass, Chlorophyll, Nutrient element, Transcriptome

    Received: 23 Mar 2024; Accepted: 30 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Xu, Li, Chen, Chen, Tang, Chen, Cai and Xu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Xiyan Li, Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Southwest China, Kunming, China
    Shi Chen, Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Southwest China, Kunming, China
    Junrong Tang, Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Southwest China, Kunming, China
    Peizhen Chen, Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Southwest China, Kunming, China
    Nianhui Cai, Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Southwest China, Kunming, China
    Yulan Xu, Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Southwest China, Kunming, China

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