Influence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the growth of soybean (Glycine max L.) under saline stress conditions

Global warming has resulted in the presence of elevated salt concentrations in soils, which hinders crop productivity. The scarcity of land areas suitable for cultivating crucial crops in regions with low saline concentrations is a significant concern. Recent research has demonstrated the rising dependence on the use of Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Fungi (AMF) as an option to increase crop adaption to salinity stress. Two separate experiments were undertaken in March-May and September-November in 2023 to investigate if AMF might boost soybean growth under saline stress conditions. The experiments were arranged as a 4 × 4 factorial design with four geometric series of NaCl: CaCl2 (3:1) of artificial chloride salinity levels: 0, 0.25, 0.5 and 0.75 dS/m and four levels of AMF: 0,10, 20 and 30 g/pot in a RCBD, with 4 replications. Sixty days after the commencement of treatments application, AMF and salt interaction had a significant impact on stem diameter and dry root mass, accounting for 11.07 and 5.67% of the total treat variation (TTV) in Experiment 1, while in Experiment 2, treatments had a significant impact on number of branches and number of pods contributing 3.98 to 6.01% of the TTV. The AMF and salt interaction also had a significant impact on soil EC, accounting for 5.12% of the TTV in Experiment 1, with no significant effect observed in Experiment 2. The utilization of AMF is a viable remedy and may foster improved productivity under climate variability.