The Role of the Fungal Endophyte Penicillium Chrysogenum in Tomato Plant underSalinity Stress

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the most well-known vegetable species in the world, that its cultivation can be threatened by salinity. Salinity is one of the main abiotic challengs that can negatively affect plant growth and physiology. The effect of the Penicillium chrysogenum endophyte fungus on the improvement of quantitative and biochemical traits of tomato plants under salinity stress (treatment of saline well water with different concentrations of (0, 4, 6, and 8 dS / m-1) was investigated in a factorial fully randomized design with three replications at the Hormozgan University greenhouse. The studied traits included plant height; root dry weight; content of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll and carotenoids; relative leaf water content; content of proline, soluble sugars, malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide. Although, salinity significantly reduced the plant height, root dry weight, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoids and relative leaf water contents, Penicillium chrysogenum could overcome these challenges and reduce the negative effects of salinity. The presence of endophytes against its absence at salinity stress (8 ds/m-1) of 26.66, 30.43, 21.72 and 8.47%, respectively, improved the traits of proline, soluble sugars, malondaldehyde and hydrogen peroxide. Our findings confirmed the high potential of Penicillium chrysogenum to increase plant fitness, especially under salinity conditions. This issue can be used practically to reduce cultivation restrictions in some areas due to the salinity of the water.