Effects of Mycorrhizal Fungi and Boron Deficiency on growth and physiology of different crop species
Mikayla Silva
Co-Presenters: Individual Presentation
College: The College of Health Professions and Human Services
Major: Recreational Therapy
Faculty Research Mentor: Sasmita Mishra
Abstract:
Effects of Mycorrhizal Fungi and Boron Deficiency on growth and physiology of different crop speciesMikayla Silva and Dr. Sasmita Mishra (Faculty Advisor)Boron (B) has long been recognized as an essential micronutrient for higher plants. Boron stress (deficiency or toxicity) in crops is very common, as the window for B deficiency and toxicity is narrow. This research project focuses on exploring the role of mycorrhizal fungi (MF) in mitigating the adverse effects of abiotic stress on plants. The role of MF under nitrogen and phosphorus deficiency has been well studied in several crop varieties. However, only a few studies addressed the effects of micronutrient deficiency in plants and MF colonization. We hypothesized that plants with MF colonization will have improved tolerance to boron deficiency. Eight-week-old tomato plants were transferred to plastic pots with a mixture of soil and perlite, with or without MF. Following a week of acclimatization, plants were exposed to 0.5, 5, and 50 µM boron (B) concentrations. Growth parameters such as shoot length, biomass, and total chlorophyll content were measured to compare the treatment effects. Interestingly, our study found that MF-colonized plants benefited more.