Phosphorus acquisition characteristics of cotton ('Gossypium hirsutum' L.) plant: a review

This paper provides a review of P acquisition strategies by cotton plants. Except for excretion of phosphatase enzymes, the cotton plant lacks the ability to manipulate its rhizosphere chemistry, and to mobilize nonlabile inorganic P sources. Phosphorus acquisition by cotton plants mainly depends on root exploration of relatively labile inorganic P and organic P sources from the surface and subsurface soil layers. Root morphological traits, such as increased root to shoot ratio or AM associations, would result in a high root absorbing surface area. Subsoil P sources could be accessed by cotton plant over time possibly due to the water stress encountered at the topsoil, and the presence of roots in the subsoil. The role that mycorrhizae play with cotton plants in Vertosol soils is worthy of future investigation.