Investigation of the effect of mycorrhizal fungi on seedlings Elaeagnus angustifolia L. under drought stress under controlled conditions

Drought stress is the most important factor in the growth of plants in arid and semi-arid regions and plays an important role in the establishment of plants in these ecosystems. Russian olive seedlings were planted in environmental plan in the form of Complete Randomized Block Design (RCBD) with four replications and treat mental plan in the form of factorial with 2 factors in the greenhouse. The test factors were Arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculum (Rhizophagus irregularis, Funneliformis mosseae and control without inoculation) and four drought stress intensity (25, 50, 75 and 100% of field capacity (FC)). Seedlings growth rate include height, collar diameter, number of leaves, number of branches, weight of aerial and underground organs was calculated by comparison of the growth rate at the beginning and end of the experimental period. With increasing drought stress intensity, vegetative traits such as height, collar diameter, number of branches and leaves, root dry weight and shoot dry weight of Russian olive seedlings were decreased significantly. With increasing drought stress to 50% of FC, the main root length of seedlings showed an increasing trend, indicating an increase in root length under dehydration. The highest and lowest dry weights of seedlings shoot were observed in treatments of F. mosseae and control, 36 g and 18 g, respectively. Fungal species of F. mosseae in all morphological traits except root dry weight provided more favorable conditions for the seedlings, as well as the F. mosseae, showed more abundance and better coexistence with Russian olive seedlings.