Aboveground herbivory does not affect mycorrhiza-dependent nitrogen acquisition from soil but inhibits mycorrhizal network-mediated nitrogen interplant transfer in maize.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are considered biofertilizers for sustainable agriculture due to their ability to facilitate plant uptake of important mineral elements, such as nitrogen (N). However, plant mycorrhiza-dependent N uptake and interplant transfer may be highly context-dependent, and whether it is affected by aboveground herbivory remains largely unknown. Here, we used N labeling and tracking to examine the effect of aboveground insect herbivory by on mycorrhiza-dependent N uptake in maize ( L.