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Responses of tomato plants associated with the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus clarum during drought and recovery

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 October 2002

J. DELL'AMICO ,
A. TORRECILLAS ,
P. RODRÍGUEZ ,
A. MORTE  and
M. J. SÁNCHEZ-BLANCO
J. DELL'AMICO
Affiliation:
Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Agrícolas (INCA), Gaveta Postal 1, 32700 San José de Las Lajas, La Habana, Cuba Dpto. Producción Agraria. Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena (UPCT), Paseo Alfonso XIII, s/n. E-30203 Cartagena (Murcia), Spain
A. TORRECILLAS
Affiliation:
Dpto. Producción Agraria. Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena (UPCT), Paseo Alfonso XIII, s/n. E-30203 Cartagena (Murcia), Spain Dpto. Riego y Salinidad. Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura (CSIC), P.O. Box 4195, E-30080 Murcia, Spain
P. RODRÍGUEZ
Affiliation:
Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Agrícolas (INCA), Gaveta Postal 1, 32700 San José de Las Lajas, La Habana, Cuba Dpto. Riego y Salinidad. Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura (CSIC), P.O. Box 4195, E-30080 Murcia, Spain
A. MORTE
Affiliation:
Dpto. Biologia Vegetal, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia E-30071, Murcia, Spain
M. J. SÁNCHEZ-BLANCO
Affiliation:
Dpto. Riego y Salinidad. Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura (CSIC), P.O. Box 4195, E-30080 Murcia, Spain
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Abstract

Mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv ‘Amalia’) were subjected to water stress by withholding irrigation water for 72 hours and then reirrigated for 120 hours. Water stress reduced root mycorrhizal colonization, although the presence of the fungus Glomus clarum stimulated tomato plant growth. During the stress period the effect on the growth was more pronounced in aerial biomass than in the root biomass. The decrease in the soil water potential generated a decrease in leaf water potential (Ψl) and leaf turgor potential (Ψt), particularly in the non-mycorrhizal plants. Although the absence of osmotic adjustment provoked the loss of turgor in stressed plants, both Ψl and Ψt recovered after a short reirrigation period. Mycorrhizal infection improved photosynthetic activity (Pn) and stomatal conductance (gs) in non-stressed and stressed plants. These increases were accompanied by higher root hydraulic conductivity values, indicating enhanced water uptake in drought conditions. Neither Pn nor gs fully recovered after rewatering. The beneficial effect of the mycorrhizal symbiosis on the water status of tomato plants stimulated plant growth.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 138 , Issue 4 , June 2002 , pp. 387 - 393
Copyright
© 2002 Cambridge University Press

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