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Acta Horticulturae Sinica ›› 2025, Vol. 52 ›› Issue (12): 3303-3321.doi: 10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2024-0998

• Cultivation·Physiology & Biochemistry • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of Nitrogen Application on Leaf Photosynthetic and Endophyte Characteristics of Apple Scions

ZHANG Huanhuan1, LI Xujiao1, YAO Dongdong1, ZHANG Guangxin1, XI Jinshan1, LIANG Yinchi1, ZHAO Fengyun1, YU Songlin1, WANG Xiaofei2,*(), YU Kun1,*()   

  1. 1 Key Laboratory of Special Fruits and Vegetables Cultivation Physiology and Germplasm Resources Utilization of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps,Agricultural College,Shihezi University,Shihezi,Xinjiang 832000,China
    2 Shandong Collaborative Innovation Center for Fruit and Vegetable Production with High Quality and Efficiency,State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology,College of Horticulture Science and Engineering,Shandong Agricultural University,Tai’an,Shandong 271018,China
  • Received:2025-04-02 Revised:2025-10-13 Online:2025-12-25 Published:2025-12-20
  • Contact: WANG Xiaofei, YU Kun

Abstract:

To explore the mechanisms underlying nitrogen-mediated regulation of scion leaf adaptation,three apple scion varieties—Malus sieversii(Ledeb.)Roem.,‘Hanfu’(M. × domestica Borkh.), and‘Fuji’(M. × domestica Borkh)were grafted onto M. sieversii rootstocks and subjected them to nitrogen-deficient and nitrogen-supplemented(0.2 g · kg-1)conditions. Stable isotope tracing and high-throughput sequencing were employed to analyze variations in leaf tissue structure,photosynthetic characteristics,carbon and nitrogen content,and endophytic microbial communities among the different scion varieties. Under nitrogen-deficient conditions,‘Fuji’scion leaves exhibited significantly greater leaf thickness,chlorophyll content,and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio compared to‘Hanfu’and M. sieversii. Following nitrogen application,‘Hanfu’scion leaves showed a substantial increase in net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance by 24.84% and 73.86%,respectively,exhibiting superior photosynthetic efficiency over the other scions. Analysis of endophytic microbial communities revealed that‘Hanfu’scion leaves possessed the highest diversity and richness of bacterial and fungal communities,with nitrogen supplementation further enhancing the diversity indices(Chao1 and Shannon indices increased by 7.30% and 61.96%,respectively)and microbial network complexity(598 nodes and 75 728 edges). Additionally,nitrogen application significantly promoted the enrichment of beneficial functional bacteria in‘Hanfu’scion leaves,with BacillusNovosphingobium,and Sphingomonas increasing in relative abundance by 226.21%,59.35%,and 149.42%,respectively,compared to the nitrogen-deficient condition. In conclusion,nitrogen application significantly improved the photosynthetic performance and optimized the endophytic microbial community structure of apple scion leaves. Among the tested scions,‘Hanfu’exhibited the most pronounced advantages under nitrogen-sufficient conditions,characterized by superior photosynthetic efficiency and a more stable endophytic microbiome. The findings highlight that nitrogen not only enhances the photosynthetic traits of apple scions but also regulates endophytic microbial composition,thereby enhancing environmental adaptability and growth potential.

Key words: apple, Malus sieversii, scions, nitrogen application, photosynthetic characteristics, stable isotopes, endophyte