Abstract
Agricultural yields are under constant jeopardy as climate change and abiotic pressures spread worldwide. Using rhizospheric microbes as biostimulants/biofertilizers is one of the best ways to improve agro-agriculture in the face of these things. The purpose of this experiment was to investigate whether a native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculum (AMF-complex) might improve caper (Capparis spinosa) seedlings’ nutritional status, their morphological/growth performance and photosynthetic efficiency under water-deficit stress (WDS). Thus, caper plantlets inoculated with or without an AMF complex (+AMF and −AMF, respectively) were grown under three gradually increasing WDS regimes, i.e., 75, 50 and 25% of field capacity (FC). Overall, measurements of morphological traits, biomass production and nutrient uptake (particularly P, K+, Mg2+, Fe2+ and Zn2+) showed that mycorrhizal fungi inoculation increased these variables significantly, notably in moderate and severe WDS conditions. The increased WDS levels reduced the photochemical efficiency indices (Fv/Fm and Fv/Fo) in −AMF plants, while AMF-complex application significantly augmented these parameters. Furthermore, the photosynthetic pigments content was substantially higher in +AMF seedlings than −AMF controls at all the WDS levels. Favorably, at 25% FC, AMF-colonized plants produce approximately twice as many carotenoids as non-colonized ones. In conclusion, AMF inoculation seems to be a powerful eco-engineering strategy for improving the caper seedling growth rate and drought tolerance in harsh environments.
Highlights
This study focused on C. spinosa and its associated microbiota, the native
~44, ~52% and ~69% higher in the inoculated seedlings than in their counterparts grown in soil without the native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi species (AMF) complex, respectively; K+ was elevated by ~45–40%, Mg2+ by ~45–55% and Zn2+ by ~53–66% at 50% and 25% field capacity (FC), respectively, and the Fe2+
This paper focuses on highlighting the potentially advantageous effect of AMF inocThis paper focuses on highlighting the potentially advantageous effect of AMF inocuulation on caper plants’ adaptive response to different levels of soil water deficit
Summary
Caper parts are rich in bioantioxidants, making them an excellent source of developing novel bioactive compounds with potent phytochemical and biological benefits [4] They might be used as a substitute for synthetic preservatives in food and pharmaceuticals/cosmetics products [5,6]. The caper bush cultivation has always been valuable owing to its well-deserved reputation for growing in challenging conditions and on rough land, as well as agronomic characteristics associated with drought resistance and high-temperature tolerance This makes it a good candidate for reclaiming land that does not have a lot of farming potential (marginal lands) [7]. A transcriptome investigation of this xerophytic plant indicates a molecular basis framework for its abiotic-stress resistance, the plant’s molecular plausible explanation for its ability to thrive in the desert [15]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
