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Effect of Arbuscular Mycorrhiza on the Drought Tolerance of Poncirus trifoliata Seedlings

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Frontiers of Forestry in China

Abstract

The effects of Glomus mosseae colonization on the plant growth and drought tolerance of 1-year-old trifoliate Poncirus trifoliata seedlings in potted culture were studied in natural water stress and rewatering conditions. Results showed that arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) inoculation significantly improved the height, stem diameter, and fresh weight of P. trifoliata seedlings before natural water stress. By the end of the experiment, the survival percentage of AM-transplanted seedlings was 8% higher than those of non-AM ones. During water stress and rewatering, AM significantly increased the contents of soluble sugars and proteins in leaves, and enhanced the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), guaiacol peroxidase (G-POD), and catalase (CAT) in either seedling leaves or roots, which indicated that AM colonization could improve the osmotic adjustment response of P. trifoliata, enhance its defense system, and alleviate oxidative damages to membrane lipids and proteins. These results demonstrated that the drought tolerance of P. trifoliata seedlings was increased by inoculation with AM fungi. The functional mechanism underlying the observation that mycorrhizas increased the host’s drought tolerance was closely related to enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidant defense systems such as SOD, G-POD, CAT, and soluble protein.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Horticulture and Forestry, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China

    Wu Qiangsheng & Xia Renxue

  2. College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China

    Hu Zhengjia

Authors
  1. Wu Qiangsheng
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  2. Xia Renxue
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  3. Hu Zhengjia
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wu Qiangsheng.

Additional information

Translated from Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 2005, 16(3) (in Chinese)

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Wu, Q., Xia, R. & Hu, Z. Effect of Arbuscular Mycorrhiza on the Drought Tolerance of Poncirus trifoliata Seedlings. Front. Forest. China 1, 100–104 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11461-005-0007-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11461-005-0007-z

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