Open Access

ARTICLE

Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria on growth and reactive oxygen metabolism of tomato fruits under low saline conditions

by WEI ZHOU, MENGMENG ZHANG, KEZHANG TAO, XIANCAN ZHU^*

Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of the Conservation and Exploitation of Biological Resources, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, 241000, China

* Corresponding Author: XIANCAN ZHU. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Mycorrhizal Fungal Roles in Stress Tolerance of Plants)

BIOCELL 2022, 46(12), 2575-2582. https://doi.org/10.32604/biocell.2022.021910

Received 16 February 2022; Accepted 18 April 2022; Issue published 10 August 2022

Abstract

Land salinization is a major form of land degradation, which is not conducive to the growth and quality of fruits and vegetables. Plant salt tolerance can be enhanced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) or plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). This study examined the effects of inoculation with PGPR singly or in combination with AMF, on the growth and quality of tomato fruits under low saline conditions. Tomatoes were cultivated in a greenhouse with sterilized soil, inoculated with PGPR, AMF, or co-inoculated with PGPR and AMF, and NaCl solution (1%) was added to the soil. The results indicated that AMF + PGPR decreased the roots and shoot biomass accumulation, and increased the number and fresh biomass in tomato fruits to a certain extent compared with non-inoculated plants. PGPR and AMF mediated the level of reactive oxygen and lipid peroxidation, the accumulation of antioxidants, and the activity of antioxidant enzymes, including proanthocyanidins, flavonoids, ascorbic acid, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and total antioxidant capacity. Furthermore, PGPR, AMF, and PGPR + AMF improved the overall osmotic adjustments and accumulation of soluble sugars and soluble proteins. Therefore, the AMF-Funneliformis mosseae and PGPR-Bacillus subtilis can potentially alleviate the adverse effects of salt stress and be applied as a biofertilizer in agricultural practice.

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Keywords

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