Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is an important fiber cash crop, but its root traits related to phosphorus (P) acquisition, including mycorrhizal root traits, are poorly understood.  Eight cotton varieties bred in northwestern China that were released between 1950 and 2013 were grown in pots with or without one arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) species (Funneliformis mosseae) at three P supply levels (0, 50 and 300 mg P as KH₂PO₄ kg^–1).  Eleven root traits were measured and calculated after 7 wk of growth.  The more recent accessions had smaller root diameters, acquired less P and produced less biomass, indicating an (inadvertent) varietal selection for thinner roots that provided less cortical space for AMF, which then increased the need for a high P fertilizer level.  At the two lower P levels, the mycorrhizal plants acquired more P and produced more biomass than non-mycorrhizal plants (3.2 vs. 0.9 mg P per plant; 1.8 vs. 0.9 g biomass per plant at P₀; 14.5 vs. 1.7 mg P per plant; and 4.7 vs. 1.6 g biomass per plant at P₅₀).  At the highest P level, the mycorrhizal plants acquired more P than non-mycorrhizal plants (18.8 vs. 13.4 mg per P plant), but there was no difference in biomass (6.2 vs. 6.3 g per plant).  At the intermediate P level, root diameter was significantly positively correlated with shoot biomass, P concentration and the P content of mycorrhizal plants.  The results of our study support the importance of the outsourcing model of P acquisition in the root economics space framework.  Inadvertent varietal selection in the last decades, resulting in thinner roots and a lower benefit from AMF, has led to a lower productivity of cotton varieties at moderate P supply (i.e., when mycorrhizal, the average biomass of older varieties 5.0 g per plant vs. biomass of newer varieties 4.4 g per plant), indicating the need to rethink cotton breeding efforts in order to achieve high yields without very high P input.  One feasible way to solve the problem of inadvertent varietal selection for cotton is to be aware of the trade-offs between the root do-it-yourself strategy and the outsourcing towards AMF strategy, and to consider both morphological and mycorrhizal root traits when breeding cotton varieties.

The species richness and propagule number of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are high in intensively-managed agricultural soils.  Past research has shown that AMF improve crop phosphorus (P) uptake under low soil P conditions, however it is unclear if AMF play a role in high Olsen-P soils.  In this study, we investigated whether native fungal benefits exist under high P input field conditions in-situ and contribute to P utilization.  We installed in-grow tubes which were sealed with different membrane pore sizes (30 or 0.45 µm) to allow or prevent AMF hyphae access to the hyphal compartment and prevent cotton roots from penetrating the chamber.  We used the depletion of soil available P (Olsen-P) in the hyphae accessed compartment to indicate P uptake by the native AMF community.  Our results showed that the native AMF mediated P depletion and microbial biomass P (MBP) turnover and caused the largest Olsen-P depletion ratio and MBP turnover ratio in the high P treatments (Olsen-P: 78.29 mg kg^–1).  The cotton roots in each fertilization regime were colonized by a unique AMF community and Glomus and Paraglomus were the dominant genera, implying the long-term fertilization regimes domesticated the AMF community.  We conclude that native AMF caused the P depletion and P turnover even under high soil Olsen-P conditions.

We compared the photosynthetic characteristics in relation to yield of two F1 cotton hybrids (Shiza 2-F1 and Xinluzao 43-F1), their parental lines (NT2, H2 and 4-14) and their F2 descendants at different growth and development stages. The two F1 exhibited heterobeltiosis in net photosynthetic rate (Pn) by 8.1-52.1%, canopy apparent photosynthetic rate (CAP) by 8.2-57.6% and canopy respiration rate (CR) by 3.0-78.7% during the growing season. They also exhibited mid-parent heterosis by 2.0-5.2% in leaf chlorophyll content (SPAD) during the late growth and development stages. Regression analysis showed that both parents contributed to increase in Pn, SPAD and CAP in the F1. A low CR in the F1 matched a low CR of the parental line. Photosynthetic characteristics in the F2 were mainly dependent upon the magnitude and degeneration rate of the F1. Mid-parent heterosis in CAP and in CR during the late growth and development stage reduced the degeneration of the F2. Average dry matter accumulation was 10.7-34.7% higher in the parental lines of Xinluzao 43-F1 than in the parental lines of Shiza 2-F1. Heterobeltiosis in dry matter accumulation was 7.0-23.1% greater for Xinluzao 43-F1 than for Shiza 2-F1. Dry matter accumulation in the F1 was affected by either the dry matter accumulation of parents or heterobeltiosis. Dry matter accumulation in the F2 was mainly influenced by dry matter accumulation in the F1. The yields of the two F1 were 39.1-46.3% higher than their respective parents and 26.4-45.9% higher than that of the conventional cultivar Xinluzao 33. The yields of the two F2 were 9.2-12.8% higher than the parents and 14.9-27.4% higher than that of Xinluzao 33. The photosynthetic production and yield of the F1 and F2 were higher than that of their parents. The increases in Pn and CAP of the F1 and F2 were dependent on the photosynthetic characteristics of their parents. It is thus concluded that the photosynthetic performance, light use efficiency and yield of the F1 can be improved by using at least one parent with low CR, but high CAP, Pn and SPAD. This strategy might also improve the value of the F2.