Protecting Cucumber from Fusarium Wilt with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi

A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the biocontrol effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) Glomus mosseae and Glomus versiforme on Fusarium oxysporum wilt disease of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). The results indicated that both AMF improved the growth of cucumber seedlings and reduced disease severity, but G. versiforme was more efficient. Compared with nonmycorrhizal plants infected by F. oxysporum, shoots and roots dry weights increased by 100% and 80% in G. versiforme-inoculated plants, and the qualities of seedlings were significantly improved; meanwhile, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents in shoots of G. versiforme-inoculated plants were significantly greater than those of G. mosseae-inoculated plants and nonmycorrhizal plants. Moreover, for mycorrhizal plants, soluble sugar and free proline contents in mycorrhizal roots were significantly greater than those of nonmycorrhizal treatment; however, malonaldehyde content in roots and the quantity of fungi in rhizosphere decreased when the plants were attacked by F. oxysporum.