Mycorrhization Enhances Vegetative Growth, Leaf Gas Exchange, and Root Development of Micropropagated Philodendron bipinnatifidum Schott ex Endl. Plantlets during Acclimatization

Philodendron bipinnatifidum Schott ex Endl. is a popular ornamental plant that is normally propagated by tissue culture methods. However, the growth and acclimatization of micropropagated plants are tarrying processes. Therefore, in the present study we examined the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) Gigaspora albida and G. marginata on the success in the establishment, growth, and development of P. bipinnatifidum plantlets during the acclimatization phase. AMF plants had significantly more leaves (10.67 per plant), leaf area (75.63 cm(2)), plant height (14.17 cm), shoot fresh weight (3.30 g) and shoot dry weight (0.31 g), according to an analysis of growth characteristics. In comparison, non-AMF plants had lower values for these metrics. In addition, AMF plants had significantly longer main roots (23 cm), total length roots per plantlet (485.73 cm), average root diameter (4.58 mm) per plantlet, number of root tips (236) per plant, total root surface area (697.76 cm(2)), total root volume (79.98 cm(3)), roots fresh weight (1.51 g), roots dry weight (0.16 g) than non-AMF plants. AMF-treated plants showed better performance in leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll, and carotenoid content. These results emphasize the need for mycorrhization of micropropagated plants to promote vegetative growth, especially during the acclimatization stage.

Automated summary

This study examined the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on the growth and development of tissue-cultured Philodendron bipinnatifidum plantlets during the acclimatization phase. The results showed that AMF-treated plants had better growth characteristics and root development compared to non-AMF plants. These findings highlight the importance of mycorrhization in promoting vegetative growth and acclimatization of micropropagated plants.