The effects of root endophyte and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on growth and cadmium accumulation in wheat under cadmium toxicity

The effects of Piriformospora indica and Glomus mosseae on some growth and physiological parameters, and cadmium (Cd) amounts in Tritium aestivum cv. Sardari39 plants under the toxic levels of Cd were investigated. The experiment was carried out including four treatments (P indica inoculation, G. mosseae inoculation, co-inoculation of G. mosseae and P. indica, and non-inoculation), each having four Cd concentrations (0, 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 mM Cd). In non-inoculated plants, by increasing Cd concentration in the soil, growth parameters, chlorophyll content, performance index (PI) and Fv/Fm were reduced, whereas root and shoot Cd accumulation were increased. The colonized plants with P. indica and G. mosseae (in solitary or together) had higher growth, chlorophyll content and PI compared to control. In the presence of P indica, the Cd concentration was increased in roots, whereas it was decreased in shoots under higher soil Cd concentrations. The presence of G. mosseae decreased root Cd concentration under lower Cd concentration in the soil. Results from this study indicate that P. indica inoculation yielded greater readings of growth parameters, chlorophyll content, PI, root colonization and also reduced shoot Cd content compared to G. mosseae inoculation. (C) 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.