title: Increased protein content of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and nitrogen-fixing bacteria under water deficit conditions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a widely cropped pulse and an important source of proteins for humans. In Mediterranean regions it is predicted that drought will reduce soil moisture and become a major issue in agricultural practice. Nitrogen (N)-fixing bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi have the potential to improve plant growth and drought tolerance. The aim of the study was to assess the effects of N-fixing bacteria and AM fungi on the growth, grain yield and protein content of chickpea under water deficit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plants inoculated with Mesorhizobium mediterraneum or Rhizophagus irregularis without water deficit and inoculated with M. mediterraneum under moderate water deficit had significant increases in biomass. Inoculation with microbial symbionts brought no benefits to chickpea under severe water deficit. However, under moderate water deficit grain crude protein was increased by 13%, 17% and 22% in plants inoculated with M. mediterraneum, R. irregularis and M. mediterraneum + R. irregularis, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Inoculation with N-fixing bacteria and AM fungi has the potential to benefit agricultural production of chickpea under water deficit conditions and to contribute to increased grain protein content. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.|Department of Environmental Health, Research Centre on Health and Environment, School of Allied Health Sciences, Polytechnic Institute of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Rui S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Research Centre on Health and Environment, School of Allied Health Sciences, Polytechnic Institute of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.affiliation: University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (UTAD-CITAB), Vila Real, Portugal.
authors.forename: Guilhermina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.affiliation: Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal.
authors.forename: Luís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Research Centre on Health and Environment, School of Allied Health Sciences, Polytechnic Institute of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Mafalda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.affiliation: Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Inês
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.affiliation: Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Matosinhos, Portugal.
authors.forename: Maria F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Průhonice, Czech Republic.|Department of Experimental Plant Biology, Charles University, Faculty of Science, Viničná 5, Praha 2, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Miroslav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vosátka
authors.affiliation: Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Freitas
mesh_terms: D059827:Agricultural Inoculants / Q000502:physiology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D029863:Cicer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D005658:Fungi / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000502:physiology*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D013559:Symbiosis; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D014867:Water; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: Mesorhizobium mediterraneum; Rhizophagus irregularis; drought; grain legume; grain protein content