Effect of mycorrhiza on morphological characteristics and nutrients content of barley under different salinity levels

Mycorrhizal fungus can increase plants tolerance to stress. To study the effect of the application of mycorrhizal fungus on morphological characters and nutrients contents of Karon dar Kavir barley, Hordeum vulgare, cultivar, an experiment was conducted as a factorial based on randomized complete block design by two factors in greenhouse of research farm of Islamic Azad university, Saveh branch during 006-007. First factor was applying of mycorrhizal fungus, Glomus interaradices, or not and the second factor was salinity levels. Plants were grown in five Kg. capacity pots under 0.6, 8 and ds/m NaCl salinity conditions in the greenhouse. Salinity decreased root and shoot dry matter, shoot fresh weight, plant height, length of spike, number of tillers and number of leaves in a plant, but did not have significant effect on number of leaves per stem. Mycorrhiza inoculation increased all characters, excpect number of leaves per stem in stress and non stress conditions. Mycorrhizal fungus increased barley tolerance index especially in higher salinity conditions and plants showed higher mycorrhizal dependency in salinity conditions. Inoculated plants also showed higher nutrients content in all conditions than non-inoculated plants. More tolerance of inoculated plants to stress can be a result of their higher nutrients content in comparison with non-inoculated plants.