Fatty Acid Composition and Eco-agronomical Traits of Lallemantia Species Modulated upon Exposed to Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Nano-iron Chelate Fertilizers under Water Deficit Conditions

Abstract

The main objectives of the current study were to investigate the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and nano-iron chelate fertilizer under water deficit conditions on grain yield, root colonization, leaf chlorophyll concentration, oil percentage, and fatty acid profile of Lallemantia species. The experiment was carried out as a factorial based on a complete randomized block design consisting of three factors of irrigation levels of 30, 60, and 90% depletion of available soil water (ASW)), fertilizer levels of control (without fertilizer), AMF inoculation, and nano-iron chelate, and plant species of Lallemantia (L. iberica and L. royleana). The results showed that increasing water deficit stress significantly decreased the above traits, while applying nano-iron and AMF fertilizers significantly increased them across water treatments. AMF fertilizer inoculation significantly improved yield of both Lallemantia species. Higher root colonization by AMF inoculation enhanced seed oil production with all major fatty acid moieties improved. In contrast, applying nano-iron chelate by increasing chlorophyll concentration in any irrigation regime could enhance seed oil of L. royleana and some fatty acids such as palmitoleic acid. Water deficit stress and application of fertilizers had different effects on both species. L. iberica, compared with L. royleana, had the most tolerance to water deficit stress and the highest dependence on AMF inoculation. Overall, these results demonstrated that the application of AMF could improve major features of Lallemantia species under irrigation deficit conditions, especially at the 60% depletion of ASW.