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Pak. J. Bot., 47(6): 2047-2054, 2015.

SYNERGISTIC AND INDIVIDUAL EFFECT OF GLOMUS ETUNICATUM ROOT COLONIZATION AND ACETYL SALICYLIC ACID ON ROOT ACTIVITY AND ARCHITECTURE OF TOMATO PLANTS UNDER MODERATE NACL STRESS

BUSHRA GHAZANFAR, ZHIHUI CHENG*, IMRAN AHMAD, ABDUL REHMAN KHAN, LIU HANQIANG, DING HAIYAN AND CHENG FANG

College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P.R China 7100

*Corresponding author’s email: chengzh@nwsuaf.edu.cn, Phone: 0086-2987082543

Abstract: A pot based experiment in plastic tunnel was conducted to investigate the changes in root morphology and root activity of the tomato plants grown under moderate NaCl stress (100 mM), pretreated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus AMF (Glomus etunicatum) root colonization and acetyl salicylic acid (ASA) as salinity ameliorative agents. The results revealed that both AMF and ASA treatments significantly enhanced the fresh root weight and root morphological parameters; net length, surface area, volume, mean diameter, nodal count and number of tips to different extents as compared to those of sole salinity treatment at 90 days after transplantation. Both treatments; AMF alone and in combination with ASA significantly enhanced the root activity level in terms of triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) reduction (2.37 and 2.40 mg^•g^-1•h^-1 respectively) as compared to the sole salinity treatment (0.40 mg^•g^-1•h^-1) as well as the salt free control (1.69 mg^•g^-1•h^-1). On the other hand, ASA treatment alone also uplifted root activity (1.53 mg^•g^-1•h^-1) which was significantly higher than that of sole salt treatment. It was inferred that under moderate saline conditions (100 mM NaCl), AMF (Glomus etunicatum) and ASA (individually or in combination) confer protective effect on plant growth by enhanced root activity and improved root architecture. Therefore, synergistic use of AMF (G. etunicatum) and ASA can be eco-friendly and economically feasible option for tomato production in marginally salt affected lands and suggests further investigations.

Key words: Tomato, Salinity tolerance, Glomus etunicatum, Acetyl salicylic acid, Root architecture.