Onion (Allium cepa) inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi from sand dunes and desert under saline conditions

It is generally acknowledged that mycorrhizal fungal symbiosis improves plant growth and performance at varying salinity levels by facilitating the plant’ s uptake of increasingly challenging-to-access nutrients.
This study aimed to investigate the symbiotic interaction between mycorrhizal fungi from sand dunes and onion (Allium cepa L.) plants under salinity.
The experiment took place in pots where onion plants were inoculated with three arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) inoculants from desert soil (Septoglomus deserticola), sand dunes (Diversispora sp. – POT8) and a sand dunes mixed inoculum (Andros island mix) and grown under 2 M NaCl.
The study’s findings demonstrated the beneficial effects of AMF inoculation on potassium uptake in plants grown under salinity.
In comparison to the control, mycorrhizal inoculants POT8 and Septoglomus deserticola demonstrated an improved plant uptake of phosphorus and plant height.
Similar behaviour was displayed by the mixed mycorrhizal inoculum from Andros’ island sand dunes, which had a greater potassium uptake than the control.
Despite the modest colonization rate in plant roots, the AMF displayed substantial effects on nutrient uptake.
To learn more about the mechanisms enabling this association, it is imperative to investigate further the symbiotic relationship of mycorrhizal fungi from harsh environments like desert soil and sand dunes, both in controlled and field conditions.

IX International Symposium on Seed, Transplant and Stand Establishment of Horticultural Crops and III International Symposium on Vegetable Grafting

N. Parissis, I. Ipsilantis, E. Papoui, A. Gkotzamani, F. Bilias, A.G. Karagianni

salinity, Septoglomus deserticola, Diversispora sp., NaCl, inoculum

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2026.1453.23