Effect of Mycorrhizal inoculation and Salicylic Acid on Growth Characteristics, Yield and Quality of Marigold under Salinity Stress

In order to evaluate the effect of salicylic acid and mycorrhizal in reducing salinity damage on the quantitative and qualitative yield of marigold a factorial pot experiment was conducted based on completely randomized design . This experiment was carried out with four replications in the Poldokhtar Payam Noor University in 2015. Experimental factors including salinity in 5 levels (Poldokhtar drinking water with electrical conductivity of 0.7 dS.m-1 is control), 2, 4, 6 and 8 dS.m-1, 4 levels of salicylic acid 0, 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9 mM and mycorrhiza was inoculated and no inoculated. The results showed that salinity reduced all the measured traits but only increased the antioxidant property. Consumption of Salicylic acid and mycorrhiza improved all the traits in salinity . The highest amount of chlorophyll a and b were in 0.7 dS-1 salinity and application of 0.6 mM salicylic acid with 0.115 and 0.207 mg.kg-1 fw, respectively which was significant with other treatments in 5%. Petal carotenoid was in 0.7 dS-1 salinity and application of 0.9 mM salicylic acid with 7.71 mg.kg-1 fw which was 15% higher than the same salinity and without using salicylic acid. The maximum of fresh weight of inflorescence content as economical yield with 12.56 gr.pot-1 was observed at 0.7 dS-1 salinity, 0.9 mM salicylic acid and mycorrhizal inoculation. Mycorrhiza increased 28 percent antioxidant properties and 21 percent colonization compared to the control treatment. Mycorrhiza by absorbing more water and nutrients in salinity improve the growing conditions of the plant and increase the yield.