Articles
The potential role of arbuscular mycorrhizae fungi and mixed substrate in the physiological and agronomical behaviour of tomato plants irrigated with saline reclaimed wastewater
Article number
1335_5
Pages
33 – 40
Language
English
Abstract
The use of reclaimed wastewater could be a valuable water resource to irrigate crops.
However, reclaimed wastewater may contain high concentrations of salts among others, and thus appropriate cultural practices are required.
In this greenhouse experiment, we evaluated the role of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi Glomus iranicum var. tenuihypharum and a mixed substrate (a combination of a traditional agricultural soil with a specific substrate for horticultural crops) on the physiological and agronomical response of tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum HULK F1) irrigated with saline reclaimed wastewater.
Therefore, eight treatments were applied in the plants during 20 weeks, as a result of a factorial combination of soil type used (agricultural soil or mixed substrate) (S, M), mycorrhizae application (absence or inoculation) (-M, +M) and irrigation water (control water and saline reclaimed water) (CW, SRW). Saline reclaimed wastewater caused an accumulation of toxic ions in leaf tissues during the last weeks of the experiment.
Salinity also decreased leaf water potential and leaf gas exchange.
As a consequence, some fruit quality parameters were negatively affected.
Nevertheless, the application of soil mixed favoured the uptake of beneficial ions and water through the roots, which consequently improved the plant water status, gas exchange and quality of fruits.
On the other hand, even though the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi needed a few weeks to establish in the roots, they were able to improve some physiological parameters at the end of the experiment, such as gas exchange.
The incorporation of these practices might be a novel approach to improve agricultural sustainability in commercial farms irrigated with reclaimed water.
However, reclaimed wastewater may contain high concentrations of salts among others, and thus appropriate cultural practices are required.
In this greenhouse experiment, we evaluated the role of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi Glomus iranicum var. tenuihypharum and a mixed substrate (a combination of a traditional agricultural soil with a specific substrate for horticultural crops) on the physiological and agronomical response of tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum HULK F1) irrigated with saline reclaimed wastewater.
Therefore, eight treatments were applied in the plants during 20 weeks, as a result of a factorial combination of soil type used (agricultural soil or mixed substrate) (S, M), mycorrhizae application (absence or inoculation) (-M, +M) and irrigation water (control water and saline reclaimed water) (CW, SRW). Saline reclaimed wastewater caused an accumulation of toxic ions in leaf tissues during the last weeks of the experiment.
Salinity also decreased leaf water potential and leaf gas exchange.
As a consequence, some fruit quality parameters were negatively affected.
Nevertheless, the application of soil mixed favoured the uptake of beneficial ions and water through the roots, which consequently improved the plant water status, gas exchange and quality of fruits.
On the other hand, even though the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi needed a few weeks to establish in the roots, they were able to improve some physiological parameters at the end of the experiment, such as gas exchange.
The incorporation of these practices might be a novel approach to improve agricultural sustainability in commercial farms irrigated with reclaimed water.
Authors
M.J. Gómez-Bellot, B. Lorente, I. Zugasti, P. Nortes, M.J. Sánchez-Blanco, M.F. Ortuño, J.J. Alarcón
Keywords
Glomus iranicum, crop system, water relations, yield, quality, salinity
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