Speakers

Biography

My name is Farzad Rasouli, and I earned a Ph.D. in the breeding and production of vegetables from Tabriz University in Tabriz, Iran. I am a faculty member at the University of Maragheh, Iran. I have researched vegetable breeding, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi symbiosis, mushroom breeding and production, seaweed effect on phytoremediation and other abiotic stress, and vegetable transplant production.

Abstract

Heavy metals toxicity is a tremendous threat to the efficient production of several plants in many locations of the world. The combined effects of foliar application of salicylic acid (SA) and inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) were investigated on the growth and physiological responses of sage (Salvia officinalis L.) plants under lead stress in a greenhouse experiment. The experiment followed a completely randomized design based on a factorial experiment with three replications. Three levels of lead (Pb) stress (0, 100, and 200 mg kg^-1) were applied to the planting soil, along with the inoculation of 0 or 5 g/kg of AMF. After one month, salicylic acid was sprayed at 0 or 100 µM levels. The results revealed that the fresh and dry weight of shoots, chlorophyll index (SPAD), the relative water content (RWC) of leaves, electrolyte leakage (EL), membrane stability index (MSI), plant height, anthocyanin, Pb (root and shoot), chlorophyll a and b content, carotenoids (CARs), as well as essential oil (EO) content in the plants were improved by the treatments. The fresh and dry weight of shoots, chlorophyll a, b, a/b ratio, SPAD, height, RWC, MSI, and chlorophyll fluorescence indices of Fv and Fv/Fm decreased under Pb stress; however, these attributes were mitigated by the combined application of SA and AMF. Furthermore, F0 increased under Pb stress but declined with co-treatments. The results revealed that carotenoids content and Fm data decreased under Pb stress but improved with AMF inoculation. The Pb content (shoot and root) and EL increased under Pb stress; however, the related data decreased due to the independent effects of AMF inoculation and SA foliar application. Anthocyanin content increased in response to Pb stress, but it was further enhanced by the sole application of AMF and SA. Otherwise, Fm decreased under Pb stress and increased with SA foliar application. The combined application of SA and AMF enhanced the carotenoids content. The essential oil content was highest in soil with 100 mg of Pb kg^-1 of soil, and this content increased with AMF and SA treatments. Furthermore, the major essential oil components, such as 1,8-cineole, camphor, and thujone, showed enhancing patterns under Pb stress, AMF inoculation, and SA foliar application. Overall, the treatments with AMF and SA helped alleviate the negative impacts of lead stress. Upon further evaluation, the findings could be valuable for the extension section and could be utilized for the viable production of sage species in Pb-contaminated soils.