Abstract

Salinity is one of the main environmental constraints to crop productivity worldwide.  The aim of the experiment was to study the role of mycorrhiza (Glomus clarum Nicol. & Schenck) in tolerance of wheat genotypes to salt stress in terms of growth, physiological and biochemical parameters. Wheat genotypes (cvs. Henta, Moaya and Samma) were grown at three levels of NaCl (0.75, 1.5 and 3 g kg^-1 soil) with or without mycorrhiza. The growth and physio-biochemical characteristics of all genotypes decreased with increasing levels of salinity except concentration of reducing sugars, sodium and proline, and at 3 g of NaCl, only genotype ‘Samma’ survived and showed resistant against severe salinity. However, inoculation of mycorrhiza enhanced the growth and accumulation of nutrients, reducing sugars, total soluble carbohydrates, Chlorophyll (Chl) a and Chl b, carotene, proline and protein by reducing Na. The present study suggested that inoculation of fungi was effective in improving the tolerance of wheat genotypes by improving the accumulation of nutrients and soluble solutes that might be responsible for osmotic adjustment of plant to counteract oxidative damage generated by salinity.

Key words: Mycorrhiza, nutrients, osmolytes, salinity, Triticum aestivum, pigments, protein.