Effect of Mycorrhizal Fungi on Sesame Productivity Under Water Stress in Low-Input Agriculture System

Abstract

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are organisms that cause to enhance the resistance of having fungi to water stress. To survey the effects of various levels of water deficit and two kinds of mycorrhizal fungi on quantitative and qualitative traits of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) cultivars, an experimental using factorialsplit plot design was carried out with three replications in the research field of Agricultural Research Center, West-Azerbaijan in 2015 and 2016 cropping seasons. The main plots (factor A and B) included different levels of irrigation; normal irrigation (irrigation after 70 mm evaporation of crop (ETc)), moderate water stress (irrigation after 90 mm ETc) and severe water stress (irrigation after 110 mm ETc) and factor B included three levels: two kinds of mycorrhizal fungi Funneliformis mosseae, Rhizophagus intraradices and noninoculated (control). Sub plots (factor C) consisted of eight commercial cultivars of sesame named "single branch Naz", "several branches Naz", "Dashtestan 5", "Dashtestan 2", "Darab 2", "Darab 14", "Halil" and "Pal". Mean comparison of 2-yr showed that with enhancing severity of water deficit, all studied traits decreased. Severe water stress reduced seed yield, oil yield, protein yield and biological yield about 64, 65, 62 and 40 percent, respectively. Using two kinds of mycorrhizal fungi F. mosseae, R. intraradices compared to non-inoculated (control) traits quantitative and qualitative traits increased. Also in three different irrigation conditions, "Darab 2" and "Darab 14" were superior commercial cultivars. To improve quantitative and qualitative traits of sesame, use of mycorrhizal fungi, especially F. mosseae was found to be recommendable.

Effects of inoculation with four mycorrhizal species on seed phenolic and fatty acids of sesame plants grown under different irrigation regimes

“…In the study of He et al inoculation of mung bean plants with G. mosseae and G. caledonium under drought stress increased plant growth by 1.99 and 1.80 times, respectively 37 . Gholinezhad and Darvishzadeh 38 , reported that sesame grain yield was increased by 25 and 33% due to G. intraradices and G. mosseae inoculation, respectively. This was related to the positive effects of mycorrhizal inoculation on phosphorus uptake, longer leaf shelf life, maintaining and increasing leaf size and also improving photosynthesis by retaining higher chlorophyll content 39 .…”

“…Several researchers have investigated the potential of AMF to promote the accumulation of bioactive compounds in oil plants 11 – 13 . Gholinezhad and Darvishzadeh investigating the effects of two AMF species on grain yield and oil content of 8 local sesame cultivars and reported that AMF inoculation, especially with G. mosseae , improved grain yield and quality traits of sesame seeds under drought stress and well-watered conditions 38 . Igiehon et al found that the content of fatty acids in seeds of soybean plants were increased by mycorrhizal inoculaion under drought stress 13 .…”