Adaptation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculated Jatti khatti (Citrus jambhiri) seedlings under water deficit stress conditions

Abstract

The effect of arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF), on physiological and biochemical parameters of plants under well watered (WW) and water deficit stress (WDS) conditions were studied under glasshouse conditions. Jatti khatti (Citrus jambhiri) seedlings were inoculated with two species of AMF, viz., Glomus fasciculatum and Glomus intraradices along with non-mychorrhizal control. The plants were allowed to grow normally upto 120 days after inoculation, thereafter, the plants were subjected to well watered (WW) and water deficit (WDS) treatments for 25 days. G. fasciculatum inoculated plants showed maximum root colonization in Jatti khatti seedlings under both WW (49.38%) and WDS (49.10%) conditions. Our findings clearly revealed that AMF colonization during WDS improved the growth, physiological, biochemical parameters and had a positive effect on adaptation and water stress mitigation of Jatti khatti seedlings.