Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal application to improve growth and tolerance of processing tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Miller) under drought stress

Abstract

The effects of two species of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi (Glomus mosseae, Glomus versiforme) on drought tolerance, processing tomato yields, and quality were investigated in pot and plot experiments under different water stress conditions (well-watered, slight water stress, and heavy water stress). Results of the pot experiment indicated that AM plants exhibited significantly higher superoxide dismutase and catalase activities compared with non-mycorrhizal (NAM) plants. The experiment also showed reductions in proline and malondialdehyde contents in leaves under different water stress conditions. H + -PPase (AVP1) gene expression was examined by quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR and was jointly regulated by AM fungus inoculation under water stress conditions. AVP1 gene expression was decreased with an increase in water stress. However, AVP1 gene expression in AM plants was distinctly higher than that in NAM plants. Results of the plot experiment indicated that inoculation of processing tomatoes with G. mosseae and G. versiforme could increase the hectare yield by 19.53% to 32.26%.