Ericoid mycorrhizal fungi enhance salt tolerance in ericaceous plants.
Mycorrhiza
; 30(4): 419-429, 2020 Jul.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-32363467
ABSTRACT
To examine the effects of ericoid mycorrhizal (ERM) fungi on salt tolerance of ericaceous plants, we inoculated roots of velvetleaf blueberry (Vaccinium myrtilloides), Labrador tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum), and lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) with ericoid mycorrhizal fungi Oidiodendron maius and Meliniomyces variabilis. Plants were subjected to 0 (NaCl control) and 30 mM NaCl treatments, and plant dry weights, gas exchange, and leaf chlorophyll concentrations were compared in inoculated and non-inoculated plants. M. variabilis increased root dry weights in all three species of NaCl-treated plants, and O. maius enhanced root dry weights of lingonberry plants treated with NaCl. Both fungal species were especially effective in enhancing root and shoot dry weights in control (0 mM NaCl) and NaCl-treated lingonberry seedlings. Leaf chlorophyll concentrations were enhanced by fungal inoculation in all three plant species, and this effect persisted under salt stress in Labrador tea and lingonberry. Salt treatment drastically reduced transpiration rates (E) and lowered net photosynthesis (Pn) to the negative values in all three species of non-inoculated plants, and this effect was partly or almost completely reversed by the inoculation with O. maius and M. variabilis. Fungal inoculation was especially effective in reducing NaCl effects on Pn in lingonberry. Oidiodendron maius and M. variabilis were also equally effective in reversing NaCl-induced declines of E in velvetleaf blueberry and lingonberry. However, in Labrador tea, O. maius reversed the decline of E in NaCl-treated plants less compared with M. variabilis resulting in high photosynthetic water use efficiency values. The results support the hypothesis that, similarly to arbuscular mycorrhizal and ectomycorrhizal associations, ERM association increases salt tolerance of plants.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Ascomicetos
/
Micorrizas
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Mycorrhiza
Asunto de la revista:
BIOLOGIA
Año:
2020
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Canadá