RESPONSE OF ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI COLONIZATION ON THE ROOT: SHOOT RATIO OF PTEROCARPUS MILDBRAEDII (RED CAMWOOD) SEEDLINGS GROWN UNDER 75MM NACL STRESS
Abstract
A research work to determine the response of four AMF strains on root: shoot ratio of
Pterocarpus mildbraedii under salt stress was conducted between February and May, 2024 in
the Botanic Garden of Unicross, Calabar. The experiment was a 9 x 3 randomized complete
design comprising of nine treatments with three replicates, totaling 27 pots. The P.
mildbraedii seedlings were inoculated with four AMF strains (Glomus etunicatum (Ge),
Glomus intraradices (Gi), Glomus mossae (Gm) and Glomus occultum (Go) and were
subjected to a 75mM level of sodium chloride (NaCl) salt stress. AMF colonization and dry
biomass (root: shoot ratio) were determined at harvest (12 weeks after emergence). The
results clearly indicated that all the salt stress seedlings had higher AMF root colonization
than their unstressed counterparts. Seedlings treated with G. intraradices (Gi) in combination
with NaCl (GiNaCl) recorded the highest AMF root colonization of 96.24% and 66.77% as
the lowest in seedlings inoculated with G. intraradices. The un-inoculated control seedlings
recorded in highest significant (P≤0.05) root: shoot ratio of 0.64g/g and 0.48g/g as the lowest
in seedlings inoculated with G. intraradices under stress (GiNaCl). AMF inoculated plants
can successfully cope with different ecological extremes (salinity) and subsequently help
improve afforestation in coastal areas of Nigeria. Improvement in dry biomass accumulation
is an essential mechanism of salinity tolerance in mycorrhizal plants
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