Abstract
The aim of our work was to assess the effect of inoculation with three arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) ( Rhizoglomus aggregatum (N.C. Schenck and G.S. Sm.) Sieverd., G.A. Silva and Oeh., Funneliformis mosseae (T.H. Nicolson and Gerd.) C. Walker and A. Schussler. and Rhizoglomus intraradices (N.C. Schenck and G.S. Sm.) Sieverd., G.A. Silva and Oehl.), and a mixed inoculum of these AMF on root colonization, biomass production, mycorrhizal dependency (MD) and shoot mineral contents of two salt tolerant grasses Leptochloa fusca L. Stapf and Sporobolus robusts Kunth. After four months of growth in a sterilized soil and greenhouse conditions, grasses inoculated with AMF showed significantly higher total biomass production than non-inoculated seedlings. MD and shoot mineral contents (especially P) varied with AMF host plants. Maximum values of MD (13%) were observed in L. fusca and S. robustus seedlings when inoculated with R. intraradices and F. mosseae , respectively. Only P contents were higher in the S. robustus /mixed-AMF combinations than the other treatments. These results demonstrate the potential benefits in our experimental conditions of AM inoculation for improving growth and P acquisition particularly in the L. fusca / F. mosseae and S. robustus /mixed-AMF combinations. Key words: Grass species, symbiosis, mycorrhizal dependency, mineral nutrition.
Highlights
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are beneficial and ubiquitous fungi in natural and agricultural ecosystems (Smith and Read, 2008)
AM colonization of L. fusca by R. intraradices and F. mosseae was more marked than those inoculated by R. aggregatum and mixed-AMF
Mycorrhizal root colonization of L. fusca and S. robustus was not correlated with any growth parameters
Summary
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are beneficial and ubiquitous fungi in natural and agricultural ecosystems (Smith and Read, 2008). Fall et al 2771 phase of the fungi acts as an extension of the root system for the uptake of mineral nutrients, especially immobile nutrients such as P, Cu and Zn. There is considerable evidence that AMF can improve plant growth and nutrition in soils subject to a range of saline soils (Tian et al, 2004; Ruíz-Lozano et al, 2011; Dodd and Ruíz-Lozano, 2012; Mbadi et al, 2015). There is considerable evidence that AMF can improve plant growth and nutrition in soils subject to a range of saline soils (Tian et al, 2004; Ruíz-Lozano et al, 2011; Dodd and Ruíz-Lozano, 2012; Mbadi et al, 2015) Their importance was recognized in a broad range of basic and practical studies (White et al, 2008). The effects of AM inoculation on grass species may vary with AMF composition indicating that not all AMF are functionally equivalent (Rengel, 2002)
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