title: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi enhance fruit growth and quality of chile ancho (Capsicum annuum L. cv San Luis) plants exposed to drought.
abstract: The effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and drought on fruit quality was evaluated in chile ancho (Capsicum annuum L. cv San Luis). AMF treatments were (1) Glomus fasciculatum (AMFG), (2) a fungal species consortium from the forest "Los Tuxtla" in Mexico (AMFT), (3) a fungal species consortium from the Sonorian desert in Mexico (AMFD), and (4) a noninoculated control (NAMF). Plants were exposed to a 26-day drought cycle. Fruit quality was determined by measuring size (length, width, and pedicel length), color, chlorophyll, and carotenoid concentration. Under nondrought conditions, AMFG produced fruits that were 13% wider and 15% longer than the NAMF treatment. Under nondrought conditions, fruit fresh weight was 25% greater in the AMFG treatment compared to the NAMF. Under drought, fruits in the AMFT and AMFD treatments showed fresh weights similar to those in the NAMF treatment not subjected to drought. Fruits of the AMFG treatment subjected to drought showed the same color intensity and chlorophyll content as those of the nondroughted NAMF treatment and carotenoid content increased 1.4 times compared to that in the NAMF not exposed to drought. It is interesting to note that fruits in the AMFD treatment subjected to drought and the NAMF treatment not exposed to drought reached the same size. AMFD treatment increased the concentration of carotenes (1.4 times) under nondrought conditions and the concentration of xanthophylls (1.5 times) under drought when compared to the nondroughted NAMF treatment.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biotecnología y Bioquímica, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados IPN, Unidad Irapuato, Km 9.6 Libramiento Norte, Carr. Irapuato-León, Apdo. Postal 629, CP 36500, Irapuato, Gto, México.
authors.forename: Hortencia G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Mena-Violante
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biotecnología y Bioquímica, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados IPN, Unidad Irapuato, Km 9.6 Libramiento Norte, Carr. Irapuato-León, Apdo. Postal 629, CP 36500, Irapuato, Gto, México.
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ocampo-Jiménez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biotecnología y Bioingeniería, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados IPN, Unidad Zacatenco, México, México.
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dendooven
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencias Agrícolas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Irapuato, Gto, México.
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martínez-Soto
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencias Agrícolas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Irapuato, Gto, México.
authors.forename: Jaquelina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: González-Castañeda
authors.affiliation: Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-2133, USA.
authors.forename: Fred T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biotecnología y Bioquímica, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados IPN, Unidad Irapuato, Km 9.6 Libramiento Norte, Carr. Irapuato-León, Apdo. Postal 629, CP 36500, Irapuato, Gto, México. volalde@ira.cinvestav.mx.
authors.forename: Víctor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Olalde-Portugal
mesh_terms: D002212:Capsicum / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology*; D004190:Disasters; D005638:Fruit / Q000254:growth & development; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000502:physiology*; D013559:Symbiosis / Q000502:physiology