Abstract

HARRIS-VALLE, Citlalli; ESQUEDA, Martín; VALENZUELA-SOTO, Elisa  and  CASTELLANOS, Alejandro. Tolerance to drought and salinity by Cucurbita pepo var. pepo associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi of the sonoran desert. Agrociencia [online]. 2011, vol.45, n.8, pp.959-970. ISSN 2521-9766.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are used as biofertilizers because when colonizing the roots they can improve growth, production and plant water status. The potential benefit of host is higher with native AMF. In this study the effect of a mixed inoculum and a consortium of seven species of AMF native of the Sonoran Desert associated with Cucurbita pepo var. pepo planted with drought, and high and low salinity was evaluated. The response of these inocula was compared with AMF from a temperate region and the control. The experimental design was a completely random design and a factorial analysis was performed: 4 (three inocula and the control) × 2 (with and without stress) with low salinity or drought; for high saline stress data an ANOVA was applied. The variables analyzed were shoot and root dry weight, percentage of leaf moisture, water and osmotic potential, percentage of mycorrhized roots, mycelium in soil and total number of spores. It was found that mixed inoculum of native AMF decreased physiological stress in C. pepo var. pepo caused by drought and low salinity, while the consortium of seven species of native AMF improved response to high saline stress, compared with other treatments (p<0.05).

Keywords : Cucúrbita pepo var. pepo; mycorrhizae; drought; salinity; water potential; osmotic potential.