ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Abiotic Stress
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1595144
Influences of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on Diospyros lotus seedlings under salinity stress
Provisionally accepted
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of Çukurova, Adana, Türkiye
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Soil salinization, intensified by climate change, poses a growing threat to agricultural sustainability across the Mediterranean Basin. As salinity levels rise in Mediterranean soils, the cultivation of salt-sensitive crops like persimmons are becoming increasingly vulnerable. This study investigated the effects of different arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) species—Glomus clarium and Claroideoglomus etunicatum on Diospyros lotus seedlings under varying salinity levels (0, 50, 100, and 150 mM NaCl). Seeds of D. lotus L. were used as a plant material, and the pot experiment was carried out in greenhouse conditions. Plant dry weight, chlorophyll, Fv/Fm, root colonization, leaf and root mineral concentrations were investigated. Statistically, root colonization varied significantly with both mycorrhizal species and salinity levels, with C. etunicatum showing higher colonization rates than G. clarium across all treatments. Both AMF species, under saline conditions, inoculated plants exhibited significantly higher fresh and dry weights, chlorophyll content (SPAD), photosystem II efficiency (Fv’/Fm’), and reduced symptom scores. C. etunicatum demonstrated superior tolerance to salinity, maintaining higher biomass and chlorophyll fluorescence at elevated salt concentrations. Mycorrhizal dependency values exceeded 70% under salinity, reflecting the critical role of AMF in enhancing stress resilience. It was determined that D. lotus seedlings are dependent on mycorrhiza and cannot grow in conditions without mycorrhiza inoculation. Mineral nutrient analysis revealed increased concentration of Ca, K, P, Mg, Fe, Mn, and Zn, and moderated Na and Cl accumulation in AMF-inoculated seedlings, with G. clarium particularly effective at limiting sodium translocation. These findings demonstrate that AMF inoculation, particularly with C. etunicatum, can effectively mitigate salinity-induced damage and improve nutrient balance, growth, and physiological performance in D. lotus. The results highlight the potential of mycorrhizal inoculation for sustainable cultivation in saline soil conditions.
Keywords: D. lotus plant growth, salt stress, Plant nutrients, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, mycorrhizae dependency
Received: 17 Mar 2025; Accepted: 13 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 incesu, Cimen, YILMAZ, yesiloglu and Ortas. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Berken Cimen, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Çukurova, Adana, Türkiye
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