Mycorrhizal euonymus plants and reclaimed water: Biomass, water status and nutritional responses

Abstract

The use of biological processes such as the application of mycorrhizae could be a sustainable option for alleviating the effects produced in irrigated plants using reclaimed wastewater. The aim of this work was to study the interactive effect between two irrigation water qualities (convencional, C, with EC<1.2dSm−1, and reclaimed wastewater, RW, with EC: 4dSm−1) and mycorrhizal colonization by Glomus iranicum var. tenuihypharum sp. on growth, water relations and mineral uptake of potted Euonymus japonica plants grown for thirty eight weeks in greenhouse conditions. A similar percentage of root mycorrhizal colonization (60%) was found for both irrigation treatments. At the end of the experiment, in RW plants increased the Hue angle, the chlorophyll content and N, B, Ca2+, K+, Mg2+, Na+ and P concentrations in leaves. The salinity level of RW led to lower values of stem water potential and gas exchange. There was no significant combined effect of mycorrhizae and irrigation water qualities on plant growth. However, mycorrhizal C plants showed higher P, Ca2+ and K+ content in leaves than in non-mycorrhizal C plants, as well as a slightly greater height at the end of the experiment. Stem water potential was lower in the mycorrhizal RW plants compared with the mycorrhizal C plants, which was related to the lower values of soil water potential at the root surface. The content of Ca2+, K+, P and Mg2+ was higher in the leaves of non-mycorrhizal RW plants. The reclaimed wastewater maintained the aesthetic value of euonymus as a result of suitable irrigation management and good nutritional status of the plants. Thus, the mycorrhizal effect was more evident in the C plants.