Interaction between Pumice and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Their Effects on Plant Growth under Deficit Irrigation Conditions in Parsley (Petroselinum sp.)

Kılıçer A., Boyno G., Yerli C., Çakmakcı T., Demir S.

KSU TARIM VE DOGA DERGISI-KSU JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURE, cilt.29, sa.4, ss.915-929, 2026 (ESCI, TRDizin)

Özet

Increasing irrigation water demand and declining soil fertility in arid and semi-arid regions necessitate the development of sustainable agricultural strategies. Among these strategies, the use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and improvements in soil physical properties play a crucial role. This study was conducted in a controlled climate chamber and is one of the first to investigate the effects of pumice as a soil physical improver, alone and in combination with AMF, on plant growth, chlorophyll content, and water use efficiency in parsley (Petroselinum sp.). Parsley plants were grown in soils amended with different pumice particle sizes (without pumice (P0), 0.1 mm (P0.1), 0.5 mm (P0.5), 1 mm (P1), and 2 mm (P2)) and inoculated with AMF (Funneliformis mosseae), under three irrigation levels: full irrigation (100%, I100), 75% deficit irrigation (I75), and 50% deficit irrigation (I50). The highest plant growth was observed under I100 irrigation with the combination of AMF and P2 pumice (plant height: 20.63 cm; fresh weight: 9.72 g; dry weight: 1.97 g), with chlorophyll content increasing by 13%. Although deficit irrigation reduced plant growth and chlorophyll content, the use of large pumice particles combined with AMF mitigated these negative effects. Our findings indicate that integrating large pumice particles with AMF significantly enhances plant growth, chlorophyll content, and soil water retention under limited irrigation conditions. This approach offers a promising strategy for sustainable agriculture in water-scarce regions and provides insights for future research on soil amendment–mycorrhizal interactions under abiotic stress.