EFFECT OF ENDOMYCORRHIZAL FUNGI INOCULUM ON AGRO MORPHOLOGICAL BEHAVIOR AND PRODUCTIVITY OF SAFFRON (CROCUS SATIVUS L.) UNDER WATER AND SALINITY STRESS.

The present work tried to evaluate whether arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) affected physiological aspects of saffron corms by triggering flowering and dormancy together with improving growth parameter. Endomycorrhizal fungi inoculum was inoculated into potted saffron corms (Crocus sativus L.) exposed to stress conditions (water and salinity) and followed for two growing seasons. Results highlighted a variation among saffron responses to endomycorrhizal fungi inoculum under water and salinity stress. The mycorrhizal corms showed a regular flowering period that occurred earlier than that of non-inoculated with AMF. The superior values of morphological traits, such as leaf and root length, leaves number and daughter corm number were between 3 and 12 cm, 11 to 25 cm; 13.4–4.5; 7 and 3 at respective concentrations of 1 g/l and 5 g/l of NaCl. Similarly, in AMF inoculated saffron, no statistical difference was observed in the dry weight average of aerial part in plants facing water level 60% (0.38 g) and 40% (0.27 g) compared respectively to 0.36 g and 0.22 g in control plants. The fresh weight of aerial saffron parts were 2 g (1 g/L), 0.6 g/L and 0.33 g at 5 g/L of NaCl compared to 1.6 g, 0.4 g and 0.2 g in control plants. At water level of 60% and 40%, this weight decreased from 1.46 g to 0.85 g. Almost equal values of dry weight of root parts were noted at 3 g/L (0.33 g) and 5 g/L of NaCl (0.22 g) in saffron plants from bulbs grown in soil incorporated with AMF inoculum compared to 0.25 g (3 g/L) and 0.18 g at 5 g/L of NaCl in control plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]