Influence of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus intrarradices on the saline stress physiology of Lotus glaber. [Influencia de la micorriza arbuscular Glomus intrarradices en la fisiología del estrés salino de Lotus glaber.]

ANALÍA I. SANNAZZARO1, EDGARDO ALBERTÓ1, OSCAR A. RUIZ1 AND ANA B. MENÉNDEZ12*

Chascomùs

Taller; Taller interdisciplinario sobre aspectos genéticos, moleculares y fisioecológicos del Lotus spp. y sus simbiontes, Ana Menéndez. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas - Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús. IIB-INTECh. (UNSAM-CONICET).; 2005

Red Iberoamericana de biofertilizantes BIOFAG

Lotus glaber is a glycophytic, perennial legume from Europe that occurs widely in saline habitats. Previous observations indicate the occurrence of genotypes highly tolerant to salinity in different populations of L. glaber. Several workers have shown that AM fungi protect the plant against salinity. In turn, a high diversity of AM fungal colonization patterns in roots of L. glaber was found in fields characterized by their high salinity. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of mycorrhizal colonization on growth response to salt stress in two genotypes of L. glaber differing in their tolerance to salinity. We also hypothesized that polyamines, small organic cations that are thought to play a role in the plant responses to salt stress. Our results interestingly indicate that G. intrarradices established a more efficient symbiosis with the tolerant than with the sensitive genotype. Results suggest that the fungal symbiont could play an important role in the adaptation of L. glaber plants to salt stress under field conditions.