EFFECT OF MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI ON SESAME PRODUCTIVITY UNDER WATER STRESS IN LOW-INPUT AGRICULTURE SYSTEM

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are organisms that cause to enhance the resistance of having fungi to water stress. To survey the effects of various levels of water deficit and two kinds of mycorrhizal fungi on quantitative and qualitative traits of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) cultivars, an experimental using factorial-split plot design was carried out with three replications in the research field of Agricultural Research Center, West-Azerbaijan in 2015 and 2016 cropping seasons. The main plots (factor A and B) included different levels of irrigation; normal irrigation (irrigation after 70 mm evaporation of crop (ETc)), moderate water stress (irrigation after 90 mm ETc) and severe water stress (irrigation after 110 mm ETc) and factor B included three levels: two kinds of mycorrhizal fungi Funneliformis mosseae, Rhizophagus intraradices and non-inoculated (control). Sub plots (factor C) consisted of eight commercial cultivars of sesame named "single branch Naz", "several branches Naz", "Dashtestan 5", "Dashtestan 2", "Darab 2", "Darab 14", "Halil" and "Pal". Mean comparison of 2-yr showed that with enhancing severity of water deficit, all studied traits decreased. Severe water stress reduced seed yield, oil yield, protein yield and biological yield about 64, 65, 62 and 40 percent, respectively. Using two kinds of mycorrhizal fungi F. mosseae, R. intraradices compared to non-inoculated (control) traits quantitative and qualitative traits increased. Also in three different irrigation conditions, "Darab 2" and " Darab 14" were superior commercial cultivars. To improve quantitative and qualitative traits of sesame, use of mycorrhizal fungi, especially F. mosseae was found to be recommendable.