Effects of Glomus intraradices on the drought resistance and growth of corn plant (Zea mays L.)

Abstract

A pot experiment was carried out at the greenhouse of Faculty of Agriculture (Saba bacha), Alexandria University. The experiment was conducted to investigate the role of Glomus intraradices fungi in the effects on the growth and water requirement of pot-grown corn (Zea mays L.). Four water regimes (20%, 30%, 40% and 50% of the available soil water content) were conducted. The Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi AMF inoculation could significantly increase plant growth (including plant height, leaf area, and fresh and dry mass), enhance relative leaf water content, transpiration rates and stomatal conductance, and improve plant drought tolerance. The water consumption of the mycorrhizal plants producing 1 g of dry matter was 20%–35% of water content conditions. These findings indicate that the mycorrhizae enhanced the water utilization efficiency.

Keywords

• G. intraradices
• corn plant (Zea mays L.)
• drought resistance