The Effect of Funneliformis mosseae Fungus and Acidithiobacillus Application on Some Biochemical Metabolites of Maize (Zea mays L.) Exposed to Salinity Stress

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

• J. Al-Jomah
• A. Halajnia
• A. Lakzian
• A.R. Astaraei

Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22067/jsw.2023.84667.1339

Abstract

Introduction
Saline soils resulting from natural and/or anthropogenic processes are very diverse and widely distributed under all climates. Soil salinity as a serious environmental problem has negative effects on plant growth and development in arid and semi-arid as well as humid regions. Since increasing global food security is a fundamental goal to feed the growing world population, it is necessary to develop suitable and efficient techniques for the rehabilitation of salt-affected soils and their exploitation. Chemical fertilizers are usually used to provide nutrients required for plant growth in order to increase crop yield, but application of these chemical components has negative environmental effects and reduces the quality of soils and agricultural products. The use of beneficial microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) as fertilizers and biological amendments has a high potential to improve productivity in saline soils. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of using Acidithiobacillus bacteria along with mycorrhiza on the production of some photosynthetic and biochemical metabolites in maize under salt stress and comparing it with control conditions.
 
Materials and Methods
To perform this experiment, a surface soil sample was collected from a depth of 30 cm from the campus of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, and some physical and chemical properties of the soil were measured by usual laboratory methods. To prepare saline soil a mixture of four compounds MgSO₄.7H₂O, Na₂SO₄, NaCl, and CaCl₂. 2H₂O were used. The mycorrhizal fungus (Funneliformis mosseae) and mesophilic Acidithiobacillus bacteria species two types of bacteria, Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans PTCC No: 1692 (DSM 504) and Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans PTCC No: 1646 (DSM 583), were purchased from Turan Biotechnology Company (Semnan Science and Technology Park) and Iran Microbial Scientific and Industrial Research Center (PTCC), respectively. In this research, the effect of biological treatments including: two levels of mycorrhiza (inoculation and non-inoculation), two levels of salinity (0.96 and 6 d/m) and four levels of Acidithiobacillus control (C), Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans (T), Acidithiobacillus Ferrooxidans (F), Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans and Ferrooxidans (T+F) were compared with each other on some photosynthetic and biochemical characteristics of Zea mays under greenhouse conditions in the form of a completely randomized design with factorial arrangement with three replications. 10 gr of salt mixture (this amount of salt was obtained to reach electrical conductivity of 6 in the pre-experiment) was added to 5 kg of soil and the soil moisture of the pots was kept for one month in the field capacity. Bacterial treatments were inoculated with 30 mL of cell suspension per pot (approximately 10⁷ CFU mL^-1). In the simultaneous use of two bacteria, 15 ml of each bacterial cell suspension (15+15) was added to each pot. Single-cross 704 variety of maize was grown in pots and soil moisture was maintained during the growth period in the field capacity by weighing. Chlorophyll a, b and carotenoid, concentrations of flavonoids, anthocyanins and proline and electrical leakage were measured in fresh leaf samples (third leaf on the stem).
 
Results and Discussion
The results showed that salinity decreased the percentage of root colonization and chlorophyll a and b content in leaves. Salinity decreased chlorophyll a, b and carotenoid in leaves by 27.9, 68.42% and 50%, respectively. Salinity increased proline concentration (42.62%), electrolyte leakage (33.30%), anthocyanins concentration (96.36%) and leaf flavonoids (84.73%) compared to control soil. Inoculation with mycorrhiza compared to no inoculation had a remarkable and significant effect on all investigated parameters in both saline and control soils. In saline soil, mycorrhizal inoculation reduces electrolyte leakage (56.75%) and increases chlorophyll a (2.3 times), chlorophyll b (6.6 times), carotenoid (1.3 times), proline concentration (24.39%), anthocyanins amount (24.07) and flavonoids (20.4%) in the plant. The effect of bacterial treatments on the investigated parameters in plants inoculated with mycorrhiza was greater than non-inoculated treatments. The effectiveness of the simultaneous application of both bacteria was greater than the effect of each of them alone. In saline soil, simultaneous inoculation of mycorrhizae with both bacteria species reduces electrolyte leakage (14.72%) and increases chlorophyll a (39.80%), chlorophyll b (106%), carotenoid (50%), proline concentration (10.12%), the amount of anthocyanins (14.17%) and flavonoids (4.06%) compared to mycorrhiza treatment alone. The results showed that these bacteria can probably be considered as helping mycorrhizal bacteria.
 
Conclusion
The objective of this study was to examine the impact of simultaneous inoculation of mycorrhizae and Acidithiobacillus bacteria on select photosynthetic and biochemical metabolites of maize subjected to salinity stress conditions. Confirming the results of other studies, the results of this research also showed the clear and distinct effect of mycorrhiza on increasing chlorophyll and producing metabolites effective in increasing plant resistance to salt stress. In addition, the results showed that although the use of each species of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans alone was effective on the measured parameters in both saline and control soils, the simultaneous inoculation of both Acidithiobacillus bacteria species and mycorrhiza had the greatest effect on increasing chlorophyll, production of proline, anthocyanins and flavinoids and reducing electrolyte leakage and as a result, increasing tolerance to salt stress. In other words, these bacteria can be considered as mycorrhiza helper bacteria, whose activity can improve the function of mycorrhiza. On the other hand, mycorrhiza symbiosis may have increased the efficiency of these bacteria by changing the soil conditions and the environment around the roots. However, further greenhouse and field experiments with other plant species are necessary to confirm these findings.

Keywords

• Biofertilizer
• Mycorrhizal helping bacteria
• Mycorrhizal symbiosis
• Proline
• Salt affected soils

Main Subjects

• Soil science

©2023 The author(s). This is an open access article distributed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source.

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