Effect of Mycorrhiza and Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria on Physiological Characters in Fenugreek (Trigonella foenumgraecum L.)

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) is member of the legume family and is also known as a medicinal plant. This plant has a symbiosis with a large number of microorganisms. Fenugreek plant, with the help of symbiosis of nitrogen fixation bacteria and some fungi, the production of growth hormones, siderophores and solubilization of plant requisites in the soil, results in a significant increase in plant growth. In fact, the interaction between nitrogen fixation bacteria and vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can increase the growth of Fenugreek. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of mycorrhiza and nitrogen fixation bacteria on some physiological indices of Fenugreek plant. Treatments were four levels of the bacteria (control, Azotobacter chroococcum, Sinorhizobium meliloti and both of bacteria) and three levels of the mycorrhiza (control, Glomus intraradices, Glomus versiforme), and statistical design was two-way factorial arrangement (3×4) on a completely randomized design with four replications. The most important morphological variables were shoot, root, leaf and pods dry weights and the nutrient content in upper part of plant. The main results showed that G. intraradices decrease root growth and Sodium absorption and induced phosphorus, potassium and pods yield. In bacterial treatments, A. chroococcum increase pods dry weight and S. meliloti treated samples enhances phosphorus uptake and shoot dry weight. These bacteria have interaction effect on chlorophyll amount and plant vegetative dry weight. In other hand the symbiosis of A. chroococcum and G. intraradices cause a decrease in absorption of phosphorus and these bacteria with G. versiforme had decrease sodium. In sum the mass production of Fenugreek based on the medical application are an important step in researches world.