Abstract
BackgroundHalophytes are better than glycophytes at employing mechanisms to avoid salt injury, but both types of plants can undergo damage due to high soil salinity. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can mitigate the damage from salt stress in both halophytes and glycophytes by enhancing salt tolerance and improving energy efficiency. However, variations in mycorrhizal symbiotic efficiency between halophytes and glycophytes were still poorly understood. Therefore, we evaluated the magnitude of AMF effects on plant growth and determined the mechanisms that regulate the growth response of halophytes and glycophytes by performing a meta-analysis of 916 studies (from 182 publications).ResultsArbuscular mycorrhizal fungi significantly enhance biomass accumulation, osmolytes synthesis (soluble sugar and soluble protein), nutrients acquisition (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium ion), antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase and catalase), and photosynthetic capacity (chlorophyll and carotenoid contents, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate). AMF also substantially decreased sodium ion acquisition and malondialdehyde levels in both halophytes and glycophytes under salt stress conditions. Mycorrhizal halophytes deploy inorganic ions (potassium and calcium ions) and limited organic osmolytes (proline and soluble sugar) to achieve energy-efficient osmotic adjustment and further promote biomass accumulation. Mycorrhizal glycophytes depend on the combined actions of soluble sugar accumulation, nutrients acquisition, sodium ion exclusion, superoxide dismutase elevation, and chlorophyll synthesis to achieve biomass accumulation.ConclusionsArbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation is complementary to plant function under salt stress conditions, not only facilitating energy acquisition but also redistributing energy from stress defence to growth. Glycophytes are more dependent on AMF symbiosis than halophytes under salt stress conditions.
Highlights
Halophytes are better than glycophytes at employing mechanisms to avoid salt injury, but both types of plants can undergo damage due to high soil salinity
Retrieved publications written in English and Chinese were screened to satisfy the following criteria: (1) The experimental design included parallel control and Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) treatments; (2) Plants were only inoculated with AMF, and there was no interaction with other microbes; (3) Plants were exposed to saline conditions or exposed to salt treatments through irrigation; (4) Plants were grown in pots
Overall, the results of this meta-analysis suggest that AMF enhance plant growth and alter physiological metabolism processes in plants, such as promoting osmolyte accumulation (SS and Soluble protein (SP)), nutrient acquisition (N, P, and K +), antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD and CAT), and photosynthetic capacity (Chla, Chlorophyll b (Chlb), Car, photosynthetic rate (Pn), Stomatal conductance (Gs) and Transpiration rate (Tr)), while decreasing Na+-induced damages and MDA contents
Summary
Halophytes are better than glycophytes at employing mechanisms to avoid salt injury, but both types of plants can undergo damage due to high soil salinity. Soil salinity initially impairs plants by causing osmotic stress, which induces water deficit and results in physiological drought (Evelin et al 2009; Munns and Tester 2008). Specific salt ions, such as sodium and chloride ions, cause toxic ionic stress and nutrient deficiency (Munns and Tester 2008; Osman 2018). The responses of halophytes and glycophytes vary qualitatively and quantitatively under high salt stress, both types of plants will be injured at the early vegetative stage (Himabindu et al 2016; Munns and Tester 2008)
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