Influence of the seedlings emergence and initial growth of palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii (Roxb.) Wats. var. Motia Burk) by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in soil salinity conditions

Abstract

Emergence of virtuous and healthy seedlings of aromatic crops underneath salinity conditions will offer optimum plant populations in a per unit area with surplus crop productivity and monetary returns. Study was performed to work out the effect of seedling emergence, its growth and initiation of AMF colonization during nursery development in salt affected soil. The pot culture experiment was carried out using palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii) cultivars (‘Tripta’, ‘PRC-1’ and ‘CIMAP-Harsh’) seed inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF viz., Rhizophagus intraradices, Funneliformis mosseae, Glomus aggregatum and Rhizophagus fasciculatus). The results indicated that AMF inoculation significantly enhanced the seed emergence, shoot and root development and vigor indices (I and II). The R. intraradices was most effective in terms of improving seedlings emergence, fresh shoot and root weight and vigor indices with cultivar ‘Tripta’. The maximum percent root colonization was observed in R. intraradices treatment with cultivar ‘Tripta’ (36.33 %). Principal component analysis (PCA) showed a clear difference between most of the AMF spp. and palmarosa cultivars from each other’s. The variation was explained by PC-1 (75.81 %) and PC-2 (14.12 %) and this contributes in total biplot 89.93 %. Substantially, the performance of cultivar ‘Tripta’ and F. mosseae was found to be most suitable for growing healthy and disease-free seedlings with high rate of AMF colonization which amplify agricultural output with high economic returns under salt stress soils.