Preinoculation of lettuce and onion with VA mycorrhizal fungi reduces deleterious effects of soil salinity

The hypothesis that inoculation of transplants with vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi before planting into saline soils alleviates salt effects on growth and yield was tested on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and onion ( Allium cepa L.). A second hypothesis was that fungi isolated from saline soil are more effective in counteracting salt effects than those from nonsaline soil. VAM fungi from high- and low-salt soils were trap-cultured, their propagules quantified and adjusted to a like number, and added to a pasteurized soil mix in which seedlings were grown for 3-4 weeks. Once the seedlings were colonized by VAM fungi, they were transplanted into salinized (NaCl) soil. Preinoculated lettuce transplants grown for 11 weeks in the saline soils had greater shoot mass compared with nonVAM plants at all salt levels [2 (control), 4, 8 and 12 dS m(-1)] tested. Leaves of VAM lettuce at the highest salt level were significantly greener (more chlorophyll) than those of the nonVAM lettuce. NonVAM onions were stunted due to P deficiency in the soil, but inoculation with VAM fungi alleviated P deficiency and salinity effects; VAM onions were significantly larger at all salt levels than nonVAM onions. In a separate experiment, addition of P to salinized soil reduced the salt stress effect on nonVAM onions but to a lesser extent than by VAM inoculation. VAM fungi from the saline soil were not more effective in reducing growth inhibition by salt than those from the nonsaline site. Colonization of roots and length of soil hyphae produced by the VAM fungi decreased with increasing soil salt concentration. Results indicate that preinoculation of transplants with VAM fungi can help alleviate deleterious effects of saline soils on crop yield.