Open Access

ARTICLE

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Improve Drought Tolerance of Quinoa Grown in Compost-Amended Soils by Altering Primary and Secondary Metabolite Levels

by Wissal Benaffari^1,2,3, Fatima-Ezzahra Soussani^1,2,4, Abderrahim Boutasknit^1,2,5, Salma Toubali^1,2,3, Abir Ben Hassine³, Hala Ben Ahmed³, Rachid Lahlali^7,*, Abdelilah Meddich^1,2,6,*

1 Centre d’Agrobiotechnologie et Bioingénierie, Unité de Recherche labellisée CNRST (Centre AgroBiotech-URL-CNRST-05), Université Cadi Ayyad, Marrakech, 40000, Morocco
2 Laboratory of Agro-Food, Biotechnologies and Valorization of Plant Bioresources (AGROBIOVAL), Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University (UCA), Marrakech, 40000, Morocco
3 Tunisian-Moroccan laboratories (LMTM) of Plant Physiology and Biotechnology and Climate Change LPBV2C, Tunis, 1000, Tunisia
4 Faculty of Sciences, Laboratory of Plant, Animal, and Agro-Industry Productions, University Ibn Toufail, Kenitra, 14000, Morocco
5 Department of Biology, Pluridisciplinary Faculty of Nador, Mohammed First University, B.P. 300, Seloune, Nador, 62700, Morocco
6 Sustainable Agriculture Research Institute (ASARI), Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), Laayoune, 70000, Morocco
7 Department of Plant Protection, Phytopathology Unit, Ecole Nationale d’Agriculture de Meknès, Km10, Rte Haj Kaddour, BPS/40, Meknès, 50001, Morocco

* Corresponding Authors: Rachid Lahlali. Email: ; Abdelilah Meddich. Email:

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2024, 93(9), 2285-2302. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2024.055052

Received 14 June 2024; Accepted 22 August 2024; Issue published 30 September 2024

Abstract

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) has recently gained popularity as a pseudo-cereal cultivated in various countries due to the nutritional and antioxidant benefits of its seeds, and its capacity to persist in water-stressed environments. Our study aimed to assess the effects of native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and local organic amendments on the metabolic responses and antioxidant activity of quinoa seeds under water-stressed conditions. To this end, quinoa plants were grown in soils inoculated with an indigenous mycorrhizal consortium AMF and amended with two types of compost from horse manure (HM) and green waste (GW) under two water regimes: well-watered (WW) 75% and 25% field capacity (FC). The primary metabolite contents (sugars and total protein) of quinoa seeds were measured. Additionally, the study involved identifying and quantifying secondary metabolites, particularly phenolic compounds (quercetin, vanillic acid, rutin, coumaric acid, kaempferol, and tetraterpenoids carotenoids) in quinoa seeds were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The individual application of AMF and HM increased the total protein content in quinoa seeds by 8% and 6%, respectively, in contrast to the water-stressed control plants (WS). Conversely, the combined application of AMF, GW, and HM led to a 21% increase in sugar content compared to the control seeds under water-stressed conditions. Additionally, HPLC analysis identified five phenolic compounds, namely quercetin, kaempferol, vanillic acid, coumaric acid, and rutin. Under WS conditions, the application of biostimulants, whether used individually or in combination, brought about a rise in the identified phenolic compounds, except rutin, compared to controls. Consequently, these findings suggest that using AMF, either alone or in combination with HM and/or GW, can enhance the total protein content of quinoa seeds, help sustain higher levels of both primary and secondary metabolites under water stress conditions, thereby enhancing tolerance and reducing the detrimental impact of water stress on quinoa plants.

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