Single and Dual Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Fungi Inoculum Effects on Growth, Nutrient Absorption and Antioxidant Enzyme Activity in Ziziphus spina-christi Seedlings under Salinity Stress

Ziziphus spina-christi are distributed in arid and semi-arid regions of world. Most of these areas are subjected to soil salinity. So, the aim of this study was to find out the effects of different NaCl concentrations on Z. spina-christi seedlings growth, in the presence of a number of single and dual AMF inoculums, to provide some information about possible effects of AMF under salinity condition. For this purpose, the study was conducted in nursery using 4×3 factorial scheme (4 salinity levels; 0, 50, 100 and 150 mM and 3 mycorrhiza treatments; non-mycorrhizal plant, G. fasciculatum and Funneliformis mosseae. fasciculatum inoculated plants). Our results revealed that salinity has negative effects on root length colonization, growth parameters, chlorophyll content, nutrients absorption and results in Na, proline, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase activity increment but mycorrhizal plants maintained higher growth characteristics, chlorophyll content, nutrients, root colonization and enzymes activity, proline and Na ion reduction and these effects in dual inoculum were significantly different from single inoculum fungi. According to the results dual-inoculated plants are more tolerative to salinity compared to single-inoculated and not-inoculated seedlings. Indicating that Z. spina-christi plantation in saline soil would give us the best result if we use dual inoculated plants. It could be said that in saline soils Z. spina-christi dual-inoculated with mycorrhiza is tolerative and more efficient.