title: Use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to improve the drought tolerance of Cupressus atlantica G.
abstract: In this study, we investigated whether indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi could improve the tolerance of Cupressus atlantica against water deficit. We tested a gradient of watering regime spanning from 90% to 25% of soil retention capacity of water on mycorhized and non-mycorhized seedlings in pot cultures with sterilized and non-sterilized soils. Our result showed a positive impact of AM fungi on shoot height, stem diameter and biomass as well as on the growth rate. We also observed that inoculation with AM fungi significantly improved uptake of minerals by C. atlantica in both sterilized and non-sterilized soils independently of water regimes. We found that mycorhized plants maintained higher relative water content (RWC) and water potential compared with non-mycorhized plants that were subjected to drought-stress regimes (50% and 25% of soil retention capacity). The contents of proline and of soluble sugars showed that their concentrations decreased in non-mycorhized plants subjected to DS. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities also decreased in non-mycorhized plants submitted to DS compared to mycorhized plants. The same pattern was observed by measuring peroxidase (POD) enzyme activity. The results demonstrated that AM fungal inoculation promoted the growth and tolerance of C. atlantica against DS in pot cultures. Therefore, mycorrhizal inoculation could be a potential solution for the conservation and reestablishment of C. atlantica in its natural ecosystem.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Écologie et Environnement (unité associée au CNRST URAC32, unité associée au CNERS), Faculté des sciences Semlalia, Université Cadi-Ayyad, Marrakech, Morocco.
authors.forename: Lamia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zarik
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Écologie et Environnement (unité associée au CNRST URAC32, unité associée au CNERS), Faculté des sciences Semlalia, Université Cadi-Ayyad, Marrakech, Morocco.
authors.forename: Abdelilah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meddich
authors.affiliation: Institut de recherche en biologie végétale (IRVB), Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hijri
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Écologie et Environnement (unité associée au CNRST URAC32, unité associée au CNERS), Faculté des sciences Semlalia, Université Cadi-Ayyad, Marrakech, Morocco.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hafidi
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Écologie et Environnement (unité associée au CNRST URAC32, unité associée au CNERS), Faculté des sciences Semlalia, Université Cadi-Ayyad, Marrakech, Morocco.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ouhammou
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Écologie et Environnement (unité associée au CNRST URAC32, unité associée au CNERS), Faculté des sciences Semlalia, Université Cadi-Ayyad, Marrakech, Morocco.
authors.forename: Lahcen
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ouahmane
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire des symbioses tropicales et méditerranéennes, IRD, 34398 Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Duponnois
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Écologie et Environnement (unité associée au CNRST URAC32, unité associée au CNERS), Faculté des sciences Semlalia, Université Cadi-Ayyad, Marrakech, Morocco. Electronic address: aboumezzough@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boumezzough
mesh_terms: D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D029781:Cupressus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology*; D055864:Droughts; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000502:physiology*; D010544:Peroxidases / Q000378:metabolism; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000235:genetics; D011392:Proline / Q000378:metabolism; D036226:Seedlings / Q000254:growth & development; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D014867:Water; D011392:Proline; D010544:Peroxidases; D002374:Catalase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase
keywords: Antioxidant; Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; Champignons mycorhiziens arbusculaires; Cupressus atlantica; Drought; Maroc; Morocco; Sécheresse; Tolérance au stress hydrique; Water stress tolerance