Abstract

The effects of Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi on the characteristics of leaf development of Paeonia suffruticosa at different levels of salt stress (0, 8, 16 and 24%) were studied. Potted ‘Feng Dan’ seedlings were inoculated with Glomus mosseae, and the non-inoculated was used as the control. The results showed that under salt stress leaf relative water content, sclerophyllous index of leaves and leaf succulence level of P. suffruticosa seedlings inoculated with G. mosseae were significantly higher than those of non-inoculated seedling, and specific leaf area was significantly lower than that of the control. Leaf water loss rate of the non-inoculated peony was faster, the percentage of water loss in the total amount of water each time point is the highest. These results suggest that G. mosseae may play an important role in the leaf traits and enhanced salt tolerance of tree peony seedlings.

Key words: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, characteristics of leaf development, Paeonia suffruticosa, salt stress.