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Mycorrhizal inoculant alleviates salt stress in Sesbania aegyptiaca and Sesbania grandiflora under field conditions: evidence for reduced sodium and improved magnesium uptake

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Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to examine the effect of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus macrocarpum and salinity on growth of Sesbania aegyptiaca and S. grandiflora. In the salt-stressed soil, mycorrhizal root colonisation and sporulation was significantly higher in AM-inoculated than in uninoculated plants. Mycorrhizal seedlings had significantly higher root and shoot dry biomass production than non-mycorrhizal seedlings grown in saline soil. The content of chlorophyll was greater in the leaves of mycorrhiza-inoculated as compared to uninoculated seedlings. The number of nodules was significantly higher in mycorrhizal than non-mycorrhizal plants. Mycorrhizal seedling tissue had significantly increased concentrations of P, N and Mg but lower Na concentration than non-mycorrhizal seedlings. Under salinity stress conditions both Sesbania sp. showed a high degree of dependence on mycorrhizae, increasing with the age of the plants. The reduction in Na uptake together with a concomitant increase in P, N and Mg absorption and high chlorophyll content in mycorrhizal plants may be important salt-alleviating mechanisms for plants growing in saline soil.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Dr. Abhinav K. Goswami (Department of Statistics, University of Delhi) for statistical analysis and Dr. Rani Gupta and Inderjit Singh for critical suggestions. The technical assistance of Ms. Meenakshi Sharma is acknowledged. The senior author is thankful to CSIR for financial support.

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  1. Department of Botany, University of Delhi, 110007, Delhi , India

    Bhoopander Giri & K. G. Mukerji

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  1. Bhoopander Giri
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  2. K. G. Mukerji
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Correspondence to Bhoopander Giri.

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Giri, B., Mukerji, K.G. Mycorrhizal inoculant alleviates salt stress in Sesbania aegyptiaca and Sesbania grandiflora under field conditions: evidence for reduced sodium and improved magnesium uptake. Mycorrhiza 14, 307–312 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00572-003-0274-1

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