Mitigation of salinity stress in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomus mosseae) in the Sundarbans Delta Region of India

Salinity stress poses a significant threat to crop productivity, particularly in coastal regions such as the Sundarbans Delta in India. This study investigates the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), specifically Glomus mosseae, in mitigating salinity-induced stress in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). Six high-yielding desi-type chickpea lines, including one tolerant (Digbijoy), three moderately susceptible (IC 268971, Radhey, Mahamaya 1), and two highly susceptible (Virat, DCP 93-3), were selected for evaluation under controlled greenhouse and field conditions. Salinity stress was induced at 300 mM NaCl in pot experiments, while field trials were conducted in naturally saline soil. Results indicated that salinity significantly reduced key agro-morphological parameters, including seedling length, nodules plant−1, leaf area index, plant height, branches, pods plant−1, pod length, seeds pod−1, 100-seed weight, and seed yield plant−1. However, AMF inoculation mitigated these adverse effects, improving seedling emergence by 45%, plant height by 52%, pod number by 95%, and seed yield by 48% in field conditions. Additionally, AMF inoculation under salinity increased spore population by 535% and structural colonization (mycelium by 181% and arbuscules by 204%). Biochemical traits such as total phenolic content, relative water content, membrane stability index, and chlorophyll levels improved significantly in AMF-treated plants compared to those under saline conditions alone. The observed improvements ultimately led to a notable enhancement in grain yield, demonstrating the efficacy of Glomus mosseae in alleviating the adverse effects of salinity stress in chickpea. These results emphasize the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) as a viable, environmentally friendly solution to boost chickpea production under saline conditions, presenting a valuable tool for promoting climate-resilient farming in salt-affected areas.