Phosphorus acquisition and pathogen defense: synergies versus trade-offs.

During their life cycle, plants encounter simultaneous biotic and abiotic stresses. A low availability of inorganic phosphorus (P) commonly limits plant growth in natural and agricultural ecosystems. Pathogen attacks pose risks to plant productivity and biodiversity, causing yield loss and ecosystem degradation. Plants evolved various strategies to cope with P limitation, which, in turn, affect their resistance to pathogens. However, a comprehensive understanding of how efficient plant P-acquisition strategies influence their pathogen resistance under P-limited conditions remains elusive. We highlight how these P-acquisition strategies can enhance or decrease pathogen resistance through multiple mechanisms. We advocate using this information to design more sustainable agricultural systems and explain species turnover in natural ecosystems, especially in the context of global change.