Improvement of salt tolerance in Stevia rebaudiana by co-application of endophytic fungi and exogenous spermidine

Abstract

Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) is an important and salt-sensitive medicinal plant used as a natural sweetener in food products. In this work, we used a pot experiment to investigate the role of microbial inoculation and exogenous polyamine spermidine (Spd) in conferring salt stress tolerance in stevia by analyzing plant growth, chlorophyll (Chl) content, Chl a fluorescence, antioxidant defense system and steviol glycosides. The inoculated plants with Piriformospora indica (Pi), Tricuderma virens (Trich) or Pi+Trich were grown in optimum conditions. At the late of vegetative stage (BBCH growth stage 47), plants sprayed with different concentrations of Spd (0, 0.75, and 1.5 mM) and then were exposed to salinity stress by irrigation with saline treatments (mix of Caspian Sea and distilled water; 0, 6, and 12 dS m−1). The results revealed that salt stress increased hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and lipid peroxidation (Malondialdehyde: MDA), and consequently plant growth characteristics and maximum photochemical quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm) as well as Chl content decreased, but antioxidant enzymes activity including superoxide (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) increased in the plants. Exposure to moderate salinity increased stevioside (Stv) and rebaudioside A (Reb A) content, while these compounds were decreased in the presence of severe salinity. The endophytic symbiosis and foliar spray of Spd (especially in Pi+Trich and Spd 0.75 mM) mitigated salt stress by significant increases in antioxidant enzymes activity and a decrease in H2O2 content and lipid peroxidation. Inoculation with Pi, Trich, and especially Pi+Trich increased the Chl content, Fv/Fm, shoot dry weight, and Stv and Reb A content at all salinity levels. Consequently, combined inoculation of Pi and Trich and foliar application of Spd can be a good approach to improve tolerance, growth and steviol glycosides production of stevia in salt stress conditions.