Azospirillum and arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization enhance rice growth and physiological traits under well-watered and drought conditions.

The response of rice plants to inoculation with an arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus, Azospirillum brasilense, or combination of both microorganisms, was assayed under well-watered or drought stress conditions. Water deficit treatment was imposed by reducing the amount of water added, but AM plants, with a significantly higher biomass, received the same amount of water as non-AM plants, with a poor biomass. Thus, the water stress treatment was more severe for AM plants than for non-AM plants. The results showed that AM colonization significantly enhanced rice growth under both water conditions, although the greatest rice development was reached in plants dually inoculated under well-watered conditions. Water level did not affect the efficiency of photosystem II, but both AM and A. brasilense inoculations increased this value. AM colonization increased stomatal conductance, particularly when associated with A. brasilense, which enhanced this parameter by 80% under drought conditions and by 35% under well-watered conditions as compared to single AM plants. Exposure of AM rice to drought stress decreased the high levels of glutathione that AM plants exhibited under well-watered conditions, while drought had no effect on the ascorbate content. The decrease of glutathione content in AM plants under drought stress conditions led to enhance lipid peroxidation. On the other hand, inoculation with the AM fungus itself increased ascorbate and proline as protective compounds to cope with the harmful effects of water limitation. Inoculation with A. brasilense also enhanced ascorbate accumulation, reaching a similar level as in AM plants. These results showed that, in spite of the fact that drought stress imposed by AM treatments was considerably more severe than non-AM treatments, rice plants benefited not only from the AM symbiosis but also from A. brasilense root colonization, regardless of the watering level. However, the beneficial effects of A. brasilense on most of the physiological and biochemical traits of rice plants were only clearly visible when the plants were mycorrhized. This microbial consortium was effective for rice plants as an acceptable and ecofriendly technology to improve plant performance and development.

Ruíz-Sánchez M ，Armada E ，Muñoz Y ，García de Salamone IE ，Aroca R ，Ruíz-Lozano JM ，Azcón R ... -  《-》

The arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis enhances the photosynthetic efficiency and the antioxidative response of rice plants subjected to drought stress.

Rice (Oryza sativa) is the most important crop for human consumption, providing staple food for more than half of the world's population. Rice is conventionally grown under flooded conditions for most of its growing cycle. However, about half of the rice area in the world does not have sufficient water to maintain optimal growing conditions and yield is reduced by drought. One possible way to increase rice production in order to meet the rice demand is to improve its drought tolerance by means of the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis. Thus, AM and non-AM rice plants were maintained under well-watered conditions or were subjected to moderate and severe drought stress for 15d. After that, half of the plants from each treatment were harvested, while the other half were allowed to recover from drought for additional 25d. The results showed that rice can benefit from the AM symbiosis and improve their long-term development after a drought stress period. In fact, at each watering level, AM plants showed about 50% enhanced shoot fresh weight as compared to non-AM plants. The AM symbiosis enhanced the plant photosynthetic efficiency under stress over 40%, induced the accumulation of the antioxidant molecule glutathione and reduced the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide and the oxidative damage to lipids in these plants. Thus, these combined effects enhanced the plant performance after a drought stress period.

Ruiz-Sánchez M ，Aroca R ，Muñoz Y ，Polón R ，Ruiz-Lozano JM ... -  《-》

Tolerance of Mycorrhiza infected pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) seedling to drought stress under glasshouse conditions.

The influence of Glomus etunicatum colonization on plant growth and drought tolerance of 3-month-old Pistacia vera seedlings in potted culture was studied in two different water treatments. The arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) inoculation and plant growth (including plant shoot and root weight, leaf area, and total chlorophyll) were higher for well-watered than for water-stressed plants. The growth of AM-treated seedlings was higher than non-AM-treatment regardless of water status. P, K, Zn and Cu contents in AM-treated shoots were greater than those in non-AM shoots under well-watered conditions and drought stress. N and Ca content were higher under drought stress, while AM symbiosis did not affect the Mg content. The contents of soluble sugars, proteins, flavonoid and proline were higher in mycorrhizal than non-mycorrhizal-treated plants under the whole water regime. AM colonization increased the activities of peroxidase enzyme in treatments, but did not affect the catalase activity in shoots and roots under well-watered conditions and drought stress. We conclude that AM colonization improved the drought tolerance of P. vera seedlings by increasing the accumulation of osmotic adjustment compounds, nutritional and antioxidant enzyme activity. It appears that AM formation enhanced the drought tolerance of pistachio plants, which increased host biomass and plant growth.

Abbaspour H ，Saeidi-Sar S ，Afshari H ，Abdel-Wahhab MA ... -  《-》

Azospirillum brasilense ameliorates the response of Arabidopsis thaliana to drought mainly via enhancement of ABA levels.

Production of phytohormones is one of the main mechanisms to explain the beneficial effects of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) such as Azospirillum sp. The PGPRs induce plant growth and development, and reduce stress susceptibility. However, little is known regarding the stress-related phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) produced by bacteria. We investigated the effects of Azospirillum brasilense Sp 245 strain on Arabidopsis thaliana Col-0 and aba2-1 mutant plants, evaluating the morphophysiological and biochemical responses when watered and in drought. We used an in vitro-grown system to study changes in the root volume and architecture after inoculation with Azospirillum in Arabidopsis wild-type Col-0 and on the mutant aba2-1, during early growth. To examine Arabidopsis development and reproductive success as affected by the bacteria, ABA and drought, a pot experiment using Arabidopsis Col-0 plants was also carried out. Azospirillum brasilense augmented plant biomass, altered root architecture by increasing lateral roots number, stimulated photosynthetic and photoprotective pigments and retarded water loss in correlation with incremented ABA levels. As well, inoculation improved plants seed yield, plants survival, proline levels and relative leaf water content; it also decreased stomatal conductance, malondialdehyde and relative soil water content in plants submitted to drought. Arabidopsis inoculation with A. brasilense improved plants performance, especially in drought.

Cohen AC ，Bottini R ，Pontin M ，Berli FJ ，Moreno D ，Boccanlandro H ，Travaglia CN ，Piccoli PN ... -  《-》

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi influence growth, osmotic adjustment and photosynthesis of citrus under well-watered and water stress conditions.

Wu QS ，Xia RX 《JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY》