AUTHOR=He Ning , Huang Fang , Luo Dingyu , Liu Zhiwei , Han Mingming , Zhao Zhigang , Sun Xian 

TITLE=Oilseed flax cultivation: optimizing phosphorus use for enhanced growth and soil health

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2024.1432875

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2024.1432875

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p>Oilseed flax (<italic>Linum usitatissimum</italic> L.) yields are phosphate (P) fertilizer-limited, especially in the temperate semiarid dryland regions of North China. However, there are limited studies on the effects of P-fertilizer inputs on plant growth and soil microorganisms in flax planting systems.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>To address this gap, a field experiment was conducted with four treatments: no P addition and application of 40, 80, and 120 kg P ha<sup>-¹</sup>, respectively. The aim was to investigate the influence of various P fertilizer inputs on yield, plant dry matter, P use efficiency, as well as the population of soil arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and bacteria in dryland oilseed flax.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Our results show that the P addition increased the dry matter, and the yield of oilseed increased by ~200% at 120 kg P ha<sup>-1</sup> addition with inhibition on the growth of AMF hyphae. The moderate P supply (80 kg ha<sup>-1</sup>) was adequate for promoting P translocation, P use efficiency, and P recovery efficiency. Soil pH, available P, and available K significantly (<italic>p</italic>&lt; 0.05) promoted the abundance of the dominant taxa (<italic>Acidobacteria_GP6, Sphingobacteria</italic> and <italic>Bacteroidetes</italic>). In addition, it is imperative to comprehend the mechanism of interaction between phosphorus-fertilizer inputs and microbiota in oilseed flax soil.  </p></sec><sec><title>Discussion</title><p>This necessitates further research to quantify and optimize the moderate phosphorus supply, regulate soil microbes to ensure high phosphorus utilization, and ultimately establish a sustainable system for oilseed flax cultivation in the local area.</p></sec>