PJB-2018-32
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND ENZYMATICAL RESPONSES OF ZINNIA PLANT TO DROUGHT STRESS UNDER ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZL SYMBIOSIS
Vahed Bagheri
Abstract
This experiment aimed to determine the effects of three arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) either singly or their mix inoculation on biomass production, water status, osmoregulation and antioxidant enzymes activities of Zinnia plants (Z. elegans var. Magellan Red) under different drought stress (DS) levels. A completely randomized design was applied with a factorial arrangement of two factors: irrigation levels [100% field capacity (FC100) as control, 80% FC (FC80), 60% FC (FC60) and 40% FC (FC40)] and mycorrhizal inoculation (without inoculation as control, Rhizophagus irregularis, Rhizophagus intraradices, Funneliformis mosseae and their mixture) at six replications. Four-weeks-old zinnia plants were inoculated with three AMF, singly or in combination and after 60 days of inoculation, they were subjected to four levels of drought stress (DS) for 28 days. The results showed that DS reduced the root colonization in plants but the difference was significant just with FC40. The results also indicated that DS reduced total plant biomass (TPB), leaf relative water content (RWC), total soluble proteins (TSP), stem water potential (SWP) and soluble starch and increased water use efficiency (WUE), proline, soluble sugar, total phenolic compounds (TPC), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities. Mycorrhizal inoculation decreased leaves proline, leaves and root soluble sugar, antioxidant enzymes activity by improving plant status water status.
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