Effects of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus (AMF) on biochemical traits and antioxidant enzyme activities in salt-stressed fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Ph.D. in Crop Physiology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 Assistant Prof., Dept. of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Yasuj University, Yasuj, Iran

Abstract
This study investigated the influence of inoculation with an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF), Glomus mosseae (Nicol & Gerd.) on biochemical traits and antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT, GUPX) in shoots of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) affected by three different levels of salt stress. The experiment was arranged as a factorial in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Experimental treatments including: three levels of salinity stress (0 (control), 60 and 120 µm) and two levels of inoculation (inoculation and non inoculation). Salinity decreased fenugreek growth, regardless of the mycorrhizal treatment and the salt stress level. The plants inoculated with AMF had significantly greater shoot biomass than the control plants at all salinity levels. However, the results pointed out that salinity had inhibitory effects on mycorrhizal infection. The highest mycorrhizal infection was observed in the control plants. According to the results,The  salt stressed plants had significantly greater essential oil percent than the control plants. AMF colonization notably increased essential oil percent at all salinity levels. The proline content was higher in salt-stressedthan non-stressed fenugreek, but there was no significant difference in proline content between mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal plants under salt stress conditions.Increasing salinity stress raised significantly the antioxidant enzyme activities, including those of total SOD, GUPX and CAT, of fenugreek compared to their respective non-stressed controls. The AMF induced a higher increase in these antioxidant enzymes in response to severe salinity. Inoculation with AMF could serve as a useful tool for alleviating salinity stress in salt-sensitive plants. However, there was not significant interaction between salt and mycorrhizal inoculation on GUPX in shoots.

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