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ToolsVillegas, Daniel, Arevalo, Ashly, Nuñez, Jonathan, Mazabel, Johanna, Subbarao, Guntur, Rao, Idupulapati, De Vega, Jose and Arango, Jacobo (2020) Biological Nitrification Inhibition (BNI): Phenotyping of a core germplasm collection of the tropical forage grass Megathyrsus maximus under greenhouse conditions. Frontiers in Plant Science, 11. ISSN 1664-462X
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Abstract
Modern intensively managed pastures that receive large external nitrogen (N) inputs account for high N losses in form of nitrate (NO3–) leaching and emissions of the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O). The natural plant capacity to shape the soil N cycle through exudation of organic compounds can be exploited to favor N retention without affecting productivity. In this study, we estimated the relationship between biological nitrification inhibition (BNI), N2O emissions and plant productivity for 119 germplasm accessions of Guineagrass (Megathyrsus maximus), an important tropical forage crop for livestock production. This relation was tested in a greenhouse experiment measuring BNI as (i) rates of soil nitrification; (ii) abundance of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA); and (iii) the capacity of root tissue extracts to inhibit nitrification in vitro. We then measured N2O emissions, aboveground biomass and forage nutrition quality parameters. Reductions on nitrification activity ranging between 30 and 70% were found across the germplasm collection of M. maximus. Accessions with low nitrification rates showed a lower abundance of AOB as well as a reduction in N2O emissions compared to accessions of high nitrification rates. The BNI capacity was not correlated to N uptake of plants, suggesting that there may be intraspecific variation in the exploitation of different N sources in this grass species. A group of accessions (cluster) with the most desirable agronomic and environmental traits among the collection was identified for further field validation. These results provide evidence of the ability of M. maximus to suppress soil nitrification and N2O emissions and their relationship with productivity and forage quality, pointing a way to develop N conservative improved forage grasses for tropical livestock production.
| Item Type: | Article |
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| Additional Information: | Data Availability Statement: All datasets presented in this study are included in the article/Supplementary Material. Funding: We would like to acknowledge support from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) GROW Colombia grant via the UK’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) (BB/P028098/1) and the BBSRC grants: “RCUK-CIAT Newton Fund – Towards climate-smart forage-based diets for Colombian livestock” (BB/R021856/1); and “Advancing sustainable forage-based livestock production systems in Colombia” (CoForLife) (BB/S01893X/1). This work was implemented as part of the CGIAR Research Programs on Livestock; and Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), which are carried out with support from CGIAR Fund Donors and through bilateral funding agreements. For details please visit https://ccafs.cgiar.org/donors. The views expressed in this document cannot be taken to reflect the official opinions of these organizations. |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | climate change,genetic diversity,livestock systems,plant-soil interactions,tropics,plant science ,/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1100/1110 |
| Faculty \ School: | Faculty of Science > School of Biological Sciences |
| Related URLs: | |
| Depositing User: | LivePure Connector |
| Date Deposited: | 02 Sep 2025 13:30 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Sep 2025 13:30 |
| URI: | https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/100261 |
| DOI: | 10.3389/fpls.2020.00820 |
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