Symbiosis of AMF with growth modulation and antioxidant capacity of Caucasian Hackberry (Celtis Caucasica L.) seedlings under drought stress

Beside climate changes, drought stress has become a serious limitated factor for plant production and seedling growth. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) symbiosis has proposed to improve the growth and water efficiency under limited-water condition. For this purpose, Caucasian Hackberry (Celtis Caucasica L.) seedlings inoculate with mycorrhizal fungi Rhizophagus intraradices and Funneliformis mosseae under well-watered and water deficient conditions. The mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal seedlings were treated under ۷۵ % FC (as control), ۵۰ and ۲۵ % FC for ۹۰-days. The data were analyzed by using two-way ANOVA (SAS ۹.۲). In order to determine the significance of means, Duncan’s multiple-range test (DMRT) was performed using SAS ۹.۲ software at P ≤ ۰.۰۵. A principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted to assess the distribution of water and AMF treatments across a biplot figure by Past software. As well as, cluster analysis was performed using d۳heatmap, dendextend, and gplots packages in R according to the Ward method to classify traits and applied treatments. The Result showed that the plant growth parameters dry shoot weight, leaf area, seedling height, dry root weight, length of root, number of secondary root, and chlorophyll content were greater in mycorrhizal seedlings in comparison with non-inoculated seedlings under normal irrigation and drought treatments. AMF symbiosis decreased H۲O۲ and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in leaves, while the activity of antioxidant enzymes catalase and superoxide dismutase raised in the host mycorrhiza-inoculated seedlings. The positive correlation was observed between colonization rate and plant growth as well as antioxidant enzymes activity, remarkably. These results suggest that AMF symbiosis is a potential tool to alleviating the detriment created by drought stress on Caucasian Hackberry young seedling by elevating plant growth, reducing membrane lipid peroxidation, raising cell wall stability and increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes.

کلیدواژه ها:

Environmental stress ، Caucasian Hackberry ، Arbuscular mycorrhiza ، Plant Growth ، Antioxidant enzymes ، Drought stress