THE EFFECT OF MYCORRHIZA AND VERMICOMPOST BIO-FERTILIZERS ON SOME PHYSIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SWEET BASIL PLANT (Ocimum basilicum L.) UNDER WATER DEFICIT STRESS CONDITION
AZIN GHAVAMI
Department of Agricultural, Islamic Azad University, Tehran Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran
VAHID ABDOSSI
Department of Agricultural, Islamic Azad University, Tehran Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran
MASOUD RAFIEE *
Department of Seed and Plant Improvement Research, Lorestan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Khorramabad, Iran
AHMAD KHALIGHI
Department of Agricultural, Islamic Azad University, Tehran Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
One of the main limiting factors in crop production in different regions of Iran is water
deficit stress. Mycorrhiza and vermicompost fertilizer may be help plants to uptake more
water. Therefore a greenhouse experiment was carried out in factorial design that was
carried out to evaluate the effect of Mycorrhiza, vermicompost fertilizer and water deficit
stress on some physiological traits of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.). Factors included
Mycorrhiza (inoculation and non inoculation), Vermicompost fertilizer (0, 30, 50, and 70
percentage of pod volume), and water deficit stress factor included irrigating up to 60%
of F.C as water deficit stress treatment, up to 75% of F.C as mild water deficit stress
treatment and up to 90% of F.C as well irrigated treatment. The results showed that
sugars and proline increased with increasing water deficit stress, while higher
vermicompost consumption decreased the severity of the increase. Merging
vermicompost, and mycorrhiza, had a synergistic effect on the catalase enzyme and
chlorophyl a+b. Significant negative and positive relationships were found between shoot
dry weight and proline with water deficit stress. In addition, basil plant physiological
responses to drought stress showed that this stress-sensitive plants, tried to adjust to
stress, through osmotic adjustment and increasing antioxidant activity. The results totally
showed that merging mycorrhizal inoculation and vermicompost mitigate the effects of
drought stress in Basil.
Keywords: Water deficit stress, sugars, catalase enzyme, peroxidase enzyme, dry matter