Effects of arbuscular mycorrhiz fungi on growth and physiological characteristics of cucumber seedlings

Cucumber cultivar Xintaimici was used to study the effects of four kinds of arbuscular mycorrhiz fungi(AMF),Glomus mosseae(GMA),Glomus mosseae-2(GMS),Glomus mosseae-3(GMH)and Glomus versiforme(GV),on the growth and physiological characteristics of cucumber seedlings.The height,fresh weights of shoots and roots,AMF colonization,chlorophyll a,chlorophyll b,carotenoid contents,net photosynthetic rate(Pn),transpiration rate(Tr) and intercellular CO2 concentration(Ci) of leaves,N,P,Zn,Ca contents of shoots and soluble protein contents of roots in cucumber seedlings inoculated with four kinds of AMF were significantly higer than those of control(no fungus inoculated)(P0.05),while stomatal limitation(Ls) and water use efficiency(WUE) with AMF-inoculation were significantly lower(P0.05).The height,fresh and dry weights of shoots and roots,AMF colonization,chlorophyll a,net photosynthetic rate(Pn),stomatal conductance(Gs),transpiration rate(Tr) and intercellular CO2 concentration(Ci) of leaves,P,Cu,Zn contents of shoots in cucumber seedlings inoculated with GMA were significantly higher than those inoculated with GMS,GMH,GV(P0.05).The results indicated that four kinds of AMF could promote the growth of cucumber seedlings,and GMA was the best.