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Background <p>Understanding how horticultural crops coordinate multiple phosphorus (P) acquisition pathways is essential for improving nutrient management and reducing excessive fertilizer inputs. However, the dominant P foraging strategies of pepper (<i>Capsicum annuum L.</i>) and their relationships with root traits and rhizosphere processes remain poorly understood.</p> Methods <p>A two-year field experiment with five P fertilization rates combined with a hydroponic experiment was conducted to investigate yield responses, root morphology, rhizosphere processes, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonization under varying P supply.</p> Results <p>Pepper yield increased with P fertilization and plateaued at 65&#xa0;kg P ha<sup>−1</sup>, corresponding to a critical soil Olsen-P threshold of 24.4&#xa0;mg&#xa0;kg<sup>−1</sup> that ensured 87.5% of maximum yield. Increasing P availability reduced root morphological plasticity and rhizosphere activity. Total root length and surface area declined with high P input, while AMF colonization and oxalic acid exudation decreased by 84.8% and 30.1%, respectively. Under P deficiency, net H⁺ efflux increased by 117% and was accompanied by strong upregulation of the phosphate transporter gene <i>PHT1.7</i>. Root distribution analysis showed that roots were concentrated mainly within 2–4&#xa0;cm of the main root axis, with greater proliferation in the 0–2&#xa0;cm segment under low P.</p> Conclusion <p>Integrating root traits within the root economics space suggests that, under the studied conditions, pepper tends toward a P foraging strategy characterized by greater carbon allocation to root development relative to rhizosphere P-mining processes. Although AMF contributed to P acquisition under moderate P supply, root morphological plasticity played the dominant role in P acquisition. These findings highlight the importance of crop-specific traits in designing sustainable P fertilization strategies.</p>

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Coordination of root morphological and rhizosphere traits drives phosphorus acquisition of pepper within a root economics space

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月26日

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  • Shunjin Li,
  • Michelle Natalie Herrmann,
  • Kai Sun,
  • Yuli An,
  • Zhi Yu,
  • Qingling Liu,
  • Ping Chen,
  • Enjiang Yu,
  • Torsten Müller,
  • Xinping Chen,
  • Wei Zhang

摘要

Background

Understanding how horticultural crops coordinate multiple phosphorus (P) acquisition pathways is essential for improving nutrient management and reducing excessive fertilizer inputs. However, the dominant P foraging strategies of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and their relationships with root traits and rhizosphere processes remain poorly understood.

Methods

A two-year field experiment with five P fertilization rates combined with a hydroponic experiment was conducted to investigate yield responses, root morphology, rhizosphere processes, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonization under varying P supply.

Results

Pepper yield increased with P fertilization and plateaued at 65 kg P ha−1, corresponding to a critical soil Olsen-P threshold of 24.4 mg kg−1 that ensured 87.5% of maximum yield. Increasing P availability reduced root morphological plasticity and rhizosphere activity. Total root length and surface area declined with high P input, while AMF colonization and oxalic acid exudation decreased by 84.8% and 30.1%, respectively. Under P deficiency, net H⁺ efflux increased by 117% and was accompanied by strong upregulation of the phosphate transporter gene PHT1.7. Root distribution analysis showed that roots were concentrated mainly within 2–4 cm of the main root axis, with greater proliferation in the 0–2 cm segment under low P.

Conclusion

Integrating root traits within the root economics space suggests that, under the studied conditions, pepper tends toward a P foraging strategy characterized by greater carbon allocation to root development relative to rhizosphere P-mining processes. Although AMF contributed to P acquisition under moderate P supply, root morphological plasticity played the dominant role in P acquisition. These findings highlight the importance of crop-specific traits in designing sustainable P fertilization strategies.