The Effect of Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Fungi (AMF) on Yield and Some of Physiological Traits of Safflower under Water-‎deficit Stress Conditions

Arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) reduce the effects of drought stress by altering some root properties and absorbing nutrients and water in plants. In order to evaluate the effect of AMF on some characteristics of spring safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.-cv. Sofeh) under water-deficit condition, this experiment has been carried out at research farm of the Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University, Tabriz in 2018. The experiment is done as a split plot in a completely randomized blocks design with three replications. The results show that the highest petal yield under non-water stress is 281.6 kg/ha and the lowest stress from flowering stage to 197.3 kg/ha. In the control, the highest content of seed oil is 30.65% related to the seed inoculated with AMF. The highest oil yield is obtained from the condition without stress with 1098.9 kg/ha, also in seed inoculated with fungus of 1107.8 kg/ha. The highest seed yield (4884.4 kg/ha) is obtained in the condition without water stress and inoculation of seeds and soil with AMF. In general, water stress leads to reduced yield and inoculation with AMF, especially inoculation of seeds and soil, yield of plants under water stress due to the positive effect on growth improve nutrition and water uptake. Plants inoculated with AMF display improved growth, yield and oil content under water stress conditions than non-inoculated plants.