Effect of two fungi species of arbuscular mycorrhizal (Glomus mosseae and Glomus intraradices) on growth, chlorophyll contents and P concentration in Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) under drought stress conditions

To study the influence of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi inoculation and drought stress on growth, chlorophyll content and phosphorus uptake of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), a pot experiment was conducted using a factorial based on randomized complete blocks design with four replications. The factors were mycorrhizal inoculation (non-inoculated and inoculated with Glomus mosseae T.H. Nicolson & Gerd. and Glomus intraradices N.C. Schenck & G.S. Sm) and three irrigation regimes (irrigation intervals were every 4, 8 and 12 days). The results showed that drought stress had significant effects on evaluated characteristics. As with decrease of the soil water content, plant height, stem diameter, number and area of leaves, number of axillary shoot, root dry weight, fresh and dry herb yield, chlorophyll content, P concentration in leaves and root colonization decreased. Also, AM fungi inoculation had significant effects on growth parameters and P uptake. Plants inoculated with AM fungi had higher growth, yield and P uptake than non-inoculated plants under droughtstress and non-stress conditions. G. mosseae was more effective than G. intraradices in alleviation of drought stress. It could be concluded that AM fungi are able to enhance the growth and yield of basil under drought stress condition through enhancing P uptake.