Influence of the root endophyte Piriformospora indica on the plant water relations, gas exchange and growth of Chenopodium quinoa at limited water availability

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the ability of Piriformospora indica to colonize the root of Chenopodium quinoa and to verify whether this endosymbiont can improve the growth, performance and drought resistance of this species. The study delivered, for the first time, evidence for successful colonization of P. indica in quinoa. Hence, pot experiment was conducted in the greenhouse, where inoculated and non-inoculated plants were subjected to ample (40%-50% WHC) and deficit (15%-20%WHC) irrigation treatments. Drought adversely influenced the plant growth, leading to decline the total plant biomass by 74%. This was linked to an impaired photosynthetic activity (caused by lower g s and C i /C a ratio; stomatal limitation of photosynthesis) and a higher risk of ROS production (enhanced ETR/A gross ratio). P. indica colonization improved quinoa plant growth, with total biomass increased by 8% (controls) and 76% (drought-stressed plants), confirming the growth-promoting activity of P. indica. Fungal colonization seems to diminish drought-induced growth hindrance, likely, through an improved water balance, reflected by the higher leaf w w and g s .Additionally, stomatal limitation of photosynthesis was alleviated (indicated by enhanced C i /C a ratio and A net ), so that the threat of oxidative stress was minimized (decreased ETR/A gross ). These results infer that symbiosis with P. indica could negate some of the detrimental effects of drought on quinoa growth, a highly desired feature, in particular at low water availability.

Effect of high temperature on pollen morphology, plant growth and seed yield in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.)

“…PPFD was provided with an artificial LED light source (6400‐02B, LI‐COR Inc., Lincoln, NE, USA). The leaf absorbance of 0.84 was used in this model (Hussin, Khalifa, Geissler, & Koyro, ). All measurements were made at a relative humidity of 50%–60%, with leaf temperature of 24°C in the control chamber and 40°C in the high‐temperature chamber, and a flow rate of 400 μmol s −1 .…”

Quinoa Abiotic Stress Responses: A Review

“…Unique fungal-root associations in quinoa may aid in the plant’s ability to tolerate drought conditions. Several studies have characterized the endophytic fungi associated with quinoa roots and bacterial endophytes in quinoa seeds [86,87,88,89]. Quinoa roots were collected in natural conditions close to the Salt Lake of the Atacama Desert in Chile.…”

“…Results showed the successful colonization of P. indica in quinoa. This association could mitigate some drought effects by improving the plant water and nutrient status, resulting in the capacity to increase total biomass, stomatal conductance, leaf water potential, and net photosynthesis [87].…”

Piriformospora indica promotes early flowering in Arabidopsis through regulation of the photoperiod and gibberellin pathways

“…indica can colonize the roots of a broad range of hosts including monocot and dicot plants. It enhances the tolerance of colonized plants against drought, acidity, heavy metals, and various other abiotic stresses as well as biotic stresses[ 1 – 8 ]. In contrast to AMF, P .…”