Comparison of diversity and abundance of selective arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi of pistachio and some native plants from Kerman province using morphological and molecular (qPCR) method

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) establish symbiosis with a great number of plant species. This group of fungi plays an important role in ecosystem stability. Some AMF species can quickly adapt to stress conditions. The diversity of native AMF is less studied in Iran. In the present study, we identified AMF symbionts of pistachio trees under salinity and drought stress. Furthermore, the results were compared with some native plants in Kerman province. In this study, 56 and 40 samples from the rhizosphere of pistachio trees and native plants were collected respectively. After root colonization assessment, 37 samples with more colonization percentages were selected as initial inoculums. Inoculums prepared with sorghum plant in a pot experiment. In the next step, molecular identification of eight isolates (four isolates from pistachio and four isolates from the native plant) was performed using qPCR method in root samples of Andropogon gerardii. The result showed that root colonization was lower in pistachio than sorghum plants which were in contrast to native plants. Morphological identification of AMF spores showed all samples were contained Rhizophagus except for sample ID 42 of pistachio orchards. Claroideoglomus, Funneliformis, and Rhizophagus were found as dominant species in pistachio orchards. The present study shows that AMF diversity was higher in native plants than pistachio. Diversispora had thehighest rate of root colonization followed by Funneliformis, Rhizophagus, Claroideoglomus, and Racocetra.