Changes in essential oil and morpho-physiological traits of tarragon (Artemisia dracuncalus L.) in responses to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus, AMF (Glomus intraradices N.C. Schenck & G.S. Sm.) inoculation under salinity

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) (Glomus intraradices N.C. Schenck & G.S. Sm.) inoculation and salinity effect on qualitative and quantitative changes in tarragon yield. Treatments included inoculation, and non-inoculation of AMF, and five salinity levels of irrigation water (with the electrical conductivity of 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 dS m-1). The results showed the plant height, SPAD value, number of leaves, dry mass of leaves and shoot per plant were reduced under salinity condition. The various levels of salinity decreased the content of tarragon essential oil and some its components consist of α-pinene, limonene, Z-ocimene, E-ocimene, and methyl chavicol while, it increased the content of bornyl acetate, eugenol, methyl eugenol, caryophyllene, germacrene, and α-farnesene. AMF inoculation without salinity had the greatest positive effect on the evaluated traits of tarragon. Also, it improved the morpho-physiological traits under salinity due to alleviation of the harmful effects of salinity. Although the essential oil content was reduced with the AMF inoculation, the methyl chavicol amount was increased by the AMF inoculation under salinity condition.

Keywords

• arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
• Artemisia dracunculus L.
• electrical conductivity
• essential oils
• Glomus intraradices
• methyl chavicol