Root Morphology and Organic Solute Responses of Salt-stressed Trifoliate Orange Seedlings to Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMP) are often found in saline soils and can protect agricultural stability. The present research tried to evaluate the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomus mosseae and G. versiforme) on root morphology and organic solutes of trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata) seedlings exposed to 0 and 100 nM NaCl. Forty-nine days after salinity treatment, mycorrhizal colonization was notably inhibited. AMF colonization significantly increased total root length. total root projected area, total root surface area, total root volume and average root diameter, as compared to non-AMP control. Inoculated seedlings with AMP exhibited notably higher contents of sucrose, glucose, fructose and proline in roots under 0 and 100 mM NaCl conditions, when compared to un-inoculated seedlings. These results imply that mycorrhizal seedlings possessed higher organic solutes and greater root morphology to alleviate salt damage. G. mosseae exhibited more efficiently under salinity stress than G. versiforme.