The Effect of Natural Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) on The Growth, Nutrient Uptake, And Yield of Strawberry Plants (Fragaria X Ananassa L.) Grown Under Salt Stress
Project no. 30765 · Status: Kapanmış (Yayın bekleniyor) · 2023
Summary
<p>The effectiveness of the mycorrhizal fungi was investigated based on the responses of the plants under three different salinity conditions. The experiment was conducted as a pot trial, with two mycorrhiza treatments (-M and +M) and four different salt levels (T0, T20, T50, and T100). The experiment was carried out in greenhouse conditions with 24 pots arranged in a randomized complete block design, with three replications. According to the results of the study, significant effects of AMF and salt applications were observed on the examined parameters. AMF showed statistically significant effects on both the soil and plant macro- and micronutrient levels. The AMF application on strawberry plants increased the available K and Zn levels in the experimental soil, increased the plant’s nutrient uptake by 4% to 34%, increased total biomass by 11%, and increased the activity of alkaline phosphatase (an enzyme directly related to mycorrhiza) by 10.5%. Additionally, according to the metagenomic analysis results, the soil was dominated by the <em>Glomeraceae</em> family of the Glomeromycetes class, with species from the genera <em>Glomus</em> (32%), <em>Rhizophagus </em>(31%), <em>Septoglomus</em> (19%), and <em>Funneliformis</em> (17%). These species, known to be more resistant in saline soils, showed increased infection rates and spore numbers in the salt-treated soils compared to the control group, with the highest infection rate and associated spore numbers found at the T20 salinity level. The observed positive effects of AMF on strawberry plants are believed to increase the plant’s resistance, protect it from the harmful effects of salt stress, and help preserve and improve its nutrient composition.</p>