Growth of Sour Orange in Response to Mesic or Xeric Geographic Isolates of Glomus intraradices under Two Irrigation Frequency Regimens

Abstract

Sour orange (Citrus aurannum L.) seedlings were inoculated with geographic isolates of an endomycorrhizal fungus, Glomus intraradices Smith and Schneck, from a xeric (New Mexico) or mesic (Florida) climate or not inoculated as controls, and were grown for 5 months under high (soil water potential more than or equal to –0.1 MPa, irrigated once every 3 days) or low (more than or equal to –1.0 MPa, irrigated once every 12 to 15 days) irrigation frequency regimens. Similar leaf P concentrations were achieved in all plants by giving more P fertilizer to nonmycorrhizal plants than mycorrhizal plants. Plants inoculated with the xeric isolate had more arbuscules and fewer vesicles than those inoculated with the mesic isolate. Mycorrhizal fungi had little affect on plant growth under high irrigation frequency. Low irrigation frequency reduced plant growth compared with high irrigation frequency. Under low irrigation frequency, shoot and root growth increased for mycorrhizal plants; however, the magnitude of increase of shoot growth was greatest for plants inoculated with the xeric isolate. Additionally, low irrigation frequency was associated with a dramatic decrease in vesicle formation in roots inoculated with the mesic isolate. This study showed that sour orange plants especially benefited from inoculation with an isolate from a xeric climate under low irrigation frequency, independent of P nutrition.