Synergistic Accumulative Effects between Exogenous Salicylic Acid and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus in Pistachio (Pistacia Vera cv. Abareqi) Seedlings under Drought Stress

This study was conducted to determine the combined effects of salicylic acid (SA) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) (Glomus mosseae) symbiosis on the growth of pistachio seedlings (Pistacia vera ‘Abareqi’) grown in the greenhouse under different drought stress (DS) levels. The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonization or exogenous SA treatment could increase ‘Abareqi’ pistachio seedlings tolerance to DS. Application of SA on AMFinoculated seedlings further promoted drought tolerance, as indicated by an alleviated plant biomass and water relations compared to the respective treatments. The analysis of proline and soluble carbohydrates showed that the increased drought tolerance in the treated plants may be associated, at least in part, with increasing of proline accumulation in the leaves of stressed plants.