AUTHOR=Zhou Tao , Du Yongli , Ahmed Shoaib , Liu Ting , Ren Menglu , Liu Weiguo , Yang Wenyu 

TITLE=Genotypic Differences in Phosphorus Efficiency and the Performance of Physiological Characteristics in Response to Low Phosphorus Stress of Soybean in Southwest of China

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=7

YEAR=2016

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2016.01776

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2016.01776

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>Southwest of China is one of the major soybean (<italic>Glycine max</italic> L.) production regions in China with low availability of soil phosphorus (P). Whereas little information is available on P-efficient soybean genotypes in this region, even though using P-efficient soybean genotypes is a sustainable P management strategy for enhancing yield and P use efficiency. To assess the genetic variation on P use efficiency, 274 soybean genotypes were employed to compare the yields and P acquisition potentials in the field. Additionally, 10 representational genotypes (5 P-efficient genotypes and 5 P-inefficient genotypes) were grown in hydroponic media containing low P treatment (0.05 mM L<sup>−1</sup>) and high P treatment (0.25 mM L<sup>−1</sup>) to further investigate P assimilation characteristics and the related mechanisms of P-efficient soybean genotypes. In the field trial, the models described the relationships between yield and seed P concentration (<italic>R</italic><sup>2</sup> = 0.85), shoot P accumulation (<italic>R</italic><sup>2</sup> = 0.84), HI (<italic>R</italic><sup>2</sup> = 0.82) well. The yield, seed P concentration and shoot P accumulation ranged from 5.5 to 36.0 g plant<sup>−1</sup>, from 0.045 to 0.93% and from 0.065 to 0.278 mg plant<sup>−1</sup>, respectively. In the hydroponic trial, P-efficient genotypes under low P treatment showed significantly better plant growth, P accumulation and root: shoot ratio than P-inefficient genotypes. Simultaneously, total root length, specific root length, root surface area and root volume of P-efficient were significantly greater than P-inefficient under low P treatment. Higher rate of organic acid exudation and acid phosphatase activities was observed in the P-efficient soybean genotypes under low P condition when compared to the P-inefficient soybean genotypes. It indicated that significant genetic variation for P use efficiency existed in this region, and the P-efficient soybean genotypes, especially E311 and E141, demonstrated great tolerance to P deficiency, which could be potential materials using in improving production and P use efficiency in low availability of soil P region.</p>