Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi alleviate salt stress of Trichosanthes dioica Roxb

Abstract

The study was conducted to determine if pre-inoculation of transplants with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi alleviates salt effects on growth and yield of Parwal (Trichosanthes dioica Roxb.) when irrigated with saline water. Seeds of T. dioica were sown in polystyrene trays and treated with AM fungi (AM) or without (non-AM) Glomus deserticola. Once the seedlings had reached appropriate size, they were transplanted into nonsterile soil in concrete blocks under greenhouse conditions. The soil electrical conductivity (ECe) was 1.6 dS m-1. Plants were irrigated with nonsaline water (ECw-0.6 dS m-1) or saline water (ECw-2.6 dS m-1) until harvest. These treatments resulted in soil EC at harvest of 1.9 and 4.6 dS m-1 for nonsaline and saline water treatments, respectively. Root colonization with AM fungi at flowering was lower under saline than under nonsaline conditions. Pre-inoculated T. dioica plants with AM fungi irrigated with both saline and nonsaline water had greater shoot and root dry matter yield and fresh fruit yield than did non-AM plants. The enhancement in fresh fruit yield due to AM fungi inoculation was 25% under nonsaline and 48% under saline water conditions. Shoot contents of P, K, Zn, Cu, and Fe were higher in AM compared with non-AM plants grown under nonsaline and saline water conditions. Shoot Na concentrations were lower in AM than in non-AM plants grown under saline water conditions. Results indicate that pre-inoculation of T. dioica transplants with AM fungi improved yield and can help alleviate deleterious effects of salt stress on crop yield. © 2010 Taylor & Francis.