Growth response of Atriplex nummularia to inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi at different salinity levels

Chenopods are generally regarded as non-host plants for mycorrhizal fungi and are believed not to benefit from colonization by mycorrhizal fungi. Perennial Atriplex nummularia Lindl., growing under field conditions, showed a relatively high level of colonization by mycorrhizal fungi (10–30% of root length colonized) in spring and summer. Accordingly, two glasshouse experiments were designed to assess the effects of inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi (with a single species or a mixture of different species) on growth, nutrient uptake, and rhizosphere bacterial community composition of A. nummularia at high and low salinity levels (2.2 and 12 dSm−1). Only low and patchy colonization by mycorrhizal fungi (1–2 of root length colonized) was detected in inoculated plants under glasshouse conditions which was unaffected by salinity. Despite the low colonization, inoculation increased plant growth and affected nutrient uptake at both salinity levels. The effects were higher at an early stage of plant development (6 weeks) than at a later stage (9–10 weeks). Salinity affected the bacterial community composition in the rhizosphere as examined by ribosomal intergenic spacer amplification (RISA) of 16S rDNA, digitization of the band patterns and multivariate analysis. The effects of inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi on growth of A. nummularia may be attributed to (i) direct effects of mycorrhizal fungi on plant nutrient uptake and/or (ii) indirect effects via mycorrhizal-induced changes in the bacterial community composition.