APPLICATION OF MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI IN LANDSCAPE TURFGRASS ESTABLISHMENT UNDER ARID AND SEMIARID ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract

Turf grasses are considered an integral part of landscape ecological systemsworldwide which provide functional, recreational and aesthetic benefits to societyand the environment. In arid and semiarid regions (e.g., Mediterranean region),turf grass is usually grown under harsh and unfavorable growing conditions withlow rainfall and high rates of evapotranspiration as well as in soils with nutrientdeficiencies. Hence, growing turf grass in these regions becomes dependent onapplication of high levels of fertilizers as well as on excessive use of irrigationwater, resulting in an environmental pollution. Therefore, it is important that turfgrass plantations are managed in a sustainable way to reduce the impact of turfgrass cultivation on ecosystems while maintaining healthy and productive turfthrough using such practices as mycorrhizal fungi technology. The application ofmycorrhizal fungi technology is an option that can benefit both agronomic planthealth and ecosystems. Mycorrhizae confer numerous benefits to host plantsincluding improved plant growth, mineral nutrition, water uptake, tolerance todiseases and stresses such as drought and salinity. The aims of this paper were toreview how mycorrhizal fungi might play a role in enhancing landscape turfestablishment and productivity in arid and semiarid regions and to evaluate theeffectiveness of application of commercial mycorrhizal inoculum to enhance plantgrowth and survival under field conditions. Field experiment was conducted tostudy the effects of arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) fungi inoculation on water useefficiency and establishment of a landscape turf. The results showed that turf grassinoculated with AM fungi used water more efficiently, established lawn morequickly and had more biomass than uninoculated turf grass. The conclusions of thispaper indicated the potential of mycorrhiza inoculation in improving the fastestablishment of turf landscape plants under arid and semiarid environments.