Root proliferation and phosphorus acquisition in response to stratification of soil phosphorus by two contrasting Trifolium subterraneum cultivars

Aims Phosphorus (P) is usually stratified in the topsoil layer under pasture, due to the broadcast application of fertiliser, excreta and leaf-litter deposition on the soil surface, and minimal soil disturbance. The objective of this study was to investigate root proliferation and P acquisition in response to P stratification by comparing two Trifolium subterraneum cultivars with contrasting root morphologies. Methods Clover micro-swards were grown with deficient, constrained and sufficient P supplied in a topsoil layer overlying a P-deficient subsoil that mimicked the stratification of P that occurs under pasture. Phosphorus labelled with 33 P- and 32 P-radioisotope tracer was mixed throughout the topsoil and subsoil layers, respectively. Results The shoot yield and total plant P uptake of the cultivars increased in response to increased topsoil P supply. The length of roots produced by the cultivars was equivalent in each of the P treatments, although the specific root length achieved by the cultivars was substantially different. In the P-constrained and P-sufficient treatments, ~91% and ~ 99% of total plant P was acquired by topsoil roots, respectively. In contrast, subsoil roots acquired 60–74% of total plant P in the P-deficient treatment. Conclusions Topsoil roots were most important for P acquisition when P was highly stratified, whereas subsoil roots contributed to P acquisition when P was uniformly distributed throughout the P-deficient soil profile. Selection for prolific nutrient-foraging roots, in conjunction with plasticity for subsoil exploration, may improve the P-acquisition efficiency of T. subterraneum genotypes and confer adaptability across a range of soil-P environments.