Synergistic interaction between the VA- mycorrhiza Glomus intraradices and Saccharomyces cerevisiae ..I.Upon the growth and nutrition of Sorghum bicolor grown under saline conditions

Abstract

The effect of the interaction between a vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza (Glomus intraradices) and a yeast strain (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on the growth response and nutrition of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) plants grown under salt stress induced by sodium chloride was studied. Sorghum plants inoculated with VA- mycorrhizal fungi and/ or S. cerevisiae resulted in an increase in the growth parameters (root and shoot length, stem thickness, number of vascular bundles in the stem, leaves number, leaf area and fresh and dry weights of roots and shoots)and also the pigment content of leaves at all salinity levels compared with non-inoculated plants. Such increases were related to increased mycorrhizal colonization, particularly when S. cerevisiae was added to the soil. The inoculation with VA-mycorrhiza or the yeast strain counteracted the toxic salinity effect by increasing the plant tissues content of N, P, K+, Mg++ and decreasing their Na+ ,Cl-, Ca++ ions content. Decreasing of Na+ content in plant tissues led to an increase in the internal K+/ Na+. The mixture of the two organisms was more effective in overcoming the salinity stress than each one alone.