Influence of arbuscular mycorrhizae on biomass production, nutrient uptake and physiological changes in Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. under water stress

Six arbuscular mycorrhizal species, namely Gigaspora margarita, Glomus constrictum, G, fasciculatum, G. mosseae, Sclerocystis rubiformis and Scutellospora calospora, were evaluated to determine their efficacy of biomass production and nutrient uptake and the physiological changes they induced in Ziziphus mauritiana under water stress. Mycorrhizal colonization resulted in increased accumulation of aminoacids, protein, chlorophyll and sugar contents as compared with non-mycorrhizal plants. Ziziphus mauritiana showed tremendous dependency on mycorrhizae under water stress conditions Details about the symbiosis are discussed. (C) 2000 Academic Press.