Oilseed flax cultivation: optimizing phosphorus use for enhanced growth and soil health.

Introduction: Oilseed flax ( L.) yields are phosphate (P) fertilizer-limited, especially in the temperate semiarid dryland regions of North China. However, there are limited studies on the effects of P-fertilizer inputs on plant growth and soil microorganisms in flax planting systems.

Methods: To address this gap, a field experiment was conducted with four treatments: no P addition and application of 40, 80, and 120 kg P ha, respectively. The aim was to investigate the influence of various P fertilizer inputs on yield, plant dry matter, P use efficiency, as well as the population of soil arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and bacteria in dryland oilseed flax.

Results: Our results show that the P addition increased the dry matter, and the yield of oilseed increased by ~200% at 120 kg P ha addition with inhibition on the growth of AMF hyphae. The moderate P supply (80 kg ha) was adequate for promoting P translocation, P use efficiency, and P recovery efficiency. Soil pH, available P, and available K significantly (< 0.05) promoted the abundance of the dominant taxa ( and ). In addition, it is imperative to comprehend the mechanism of interaction between phosphorus-fertilizer inputs and microbiota in oilseed flax soil.

Discussion: This necessitates further research to quantify and optimize the moderate phosphorus supply, regulate soil microbes to ensure high phosphorus utilization, and ultimately establish a sustainable system for oilseed flax cultivation in the local area.