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Aims <p>This study aimed to decipher the significant interaction between water and fertilizer in&#xa0;<i>Idesia polycarpa</i>&#xa0;seedlings. We tested the hypothesis that water availability acts as the paramount gatekeeper, conditioning fertilizer efficacy and orchestrating phenotypic acclimation through dynamic hormonal reprogramming.</p> Methods <p>We employed a full factorial design with three water regimes (W1 at 90%, W2 at 60%, and W3 at 30% of field capacity) and three NPK levels (F1 at 8&#xa0;g, F2 at 5&#xa0;g, and F3 at 2&#xa0;g). Temporal data on growth, biomass, root architecture, tissue nutrients, photosynthesis, endogenous phytohormones, and cellular ultrastructure were collected and integrated using Principal Component Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling.</p> Key Results <p>Water availability was the dominant factor, strongly conditioning fertilizer efficacy. The synergistic W1F3 treatment maximized growth, while the deficit W3F3 treatment induced a multi-level stress syndrome. A two-phase hormonal shift was central to acclimation. An initial ABA surge under severe deficit transitioned to a sustained high-gibberellin, low-auxin state. This reprogramming drove a coordinated phenotypic reallocation, including an increased root-to-shoot ratio, proliferation of fine roots, decreased specific leaf area, and a shift from stomatal to non-stomatal photosynthetic limitations. Chloroplast degradation corroborated this shift. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) quantified a critical trade-off, revealing a negative total effect of photosynthetic investment on final biomass under stress.</p> Conclusions <p>We provide a systems-level framework that establishes irrigation as the non-negotiable prerequisite for nutrient response in&#xa0;<i>I. polycarpa</i>. For sustainable cultivation, securing water is paramount. Only under ample irrigation does moderate fertilization optimize seedling quality without waste or detriment.</p> Graphical Abstract <p>A full-factorial experiment established that water availability&#xa0;strongly conditions&#xa0;fertilizer efficacy, a gatekeeper effect mediated by hormonal reprogramming and quantified through trait-based modeling in&#xa0;<i>Idesia polycarpa</i>&#xa0;seedlings.</p> <p></p>

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Water as the non-negotiable prerequisite: conditioning fertilizer efficacy and phenotypic acclimation in Idesia polycarpa seedlings

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月10日

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  • Sohel Rana,
  • Razia Sultana Jemim,
  • Zhi Li,
  • Qifei Cai,
  • Xiaodong Geng,
  • Yanmei Wang,
  • Zhen Liu

摘要

Aims

This study aimed to decipher the significant interaction between water and fertilizer in Idesia polycarpa seedlings. We tested the hypothesis that water availability acts as the paramount gatekeeper, conditioning fertilizer efficacy and orchestrating phenotypic acclimation through dynamic hormonal reprogramming.

Methods

We employed a full factorial design with three water regimes (W1 at 90%, W2 at 60%, and W3 at 30% of field capacity) and three NPK levels (F1 at 8 g, F2 at 5 g, and F3 at 2 g). Temporal data on growth, biomass, root architecture, tissue nutrients, photosynthesis, endogenous phytohormones, and cellular ultrastructure were collected and integrated using Principal Component Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling.

Key Results

Water availability was the dominant factor, strongly conditioning fertilizer efficacy. The synergistic W1F3 treatment maximized growth, while the deficit W3F3 treatment induced a multi-level stress syndrome. A two-phase hormonal shift was central to acclimation. An initial ABA surge under severe deficit transitioned to a sustained high-gibberellin, low-auxin state. This reprogramming drove a coordinated phenotypic reallocation, including an increased root-to-shoot ratio, proliferation of fine roots, decreased specific leaf area, and a shift from stomatal to non-stomatal photosynthetic limitations. Chloroplast degradation corroborated this shift. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) quantified a critical trade-off, revealing a negative total effect of photosynthetic investment on final biomass under stress.

Conclusions

We provide a systems-level framework that establishes irrigation as the non-negotiable prerequisite for nutrient response in I. polycarpa. For sustainable cultivation, securing water is paramount. Only under ample irrigation does moderate fertilization optimize seedling quality without waste or detriment.

Graphical Abstract

A full-factorial experiment established that water availability strongly conditions fertilizer efficacy, a gatekeeper effect mediated by hormonal reprogramming and quantified through trait-based modeling in Idesia polycarpa seedlings.