Unraveling the Synergistic Potential of Mycorrhizal Consortium in Augmenting Salinity Stress Tolerance in Wheat by Advancing Physiological, Metabolic, Nutrient, and Ultrastructural Attributes

A pot experiment was carried out to assess the influence of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) consortium on mitigating salinity stress in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Employing a completely randomized block design, we considered two factors: AMF status (AMF inoculated (M) and AMF non-inoculated (NM)) and four distinct salinity levels (0, 50, 100, and 200 mM NaCl) in greenhouse conditions. Our findings reveal that, across all salinity conditions, M plants showed improved growth with the increased shoot and root length, biomass, and leaf area compared to NM plants. They exhibited higher levels of macronutrients, and micronutrients, and lower Na⁺ accumulation, indicating enhanced mineral nutrient status. Physiological analyses revealed elevated levels of photosynthetic pigments, transpiration rate (E), internal CO₂ concentration (Ci), stomatal conductance (gs), and photosynthetic rate (A) in M plants, suggesting augmented stress tolerance. Moreover, M plants also displayed higher levels of osmolytes and antioxidant activities, enhancing their defense against oxidative damage. Additionally, M plants exhibited decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, electrolyte leakage, and lipoxygenase (LOX) activity, collectively indicating enhanced membrane integrity. Ultrastructural analysis showed preserved chloroplasts and improved membrane integrity in M plants under salinity stress, contrasting with NM plants. Overall, our results emphasize the significant role of AMF consortium (Scutellospora species, Funneliformis mosseae, and Rhizophagus irregularis) in mitigating salinity stress in wheat by facilitating nutrient uptake, osmolyte accumulation, antioxidant defense, and preserving cellular ultrastructure. These findings hold promise for the practical application of beneficial AMF consortium in enhancing salinity stress tolerance in crops and promoting sustainable agriculture in saline-prone regions.