effect of Piriformospora indica fungus inoculation on uptake and transportation of some nutrients in two wheat cultivars

Biological methods based on using soil beneficial microorganisms’ potentials for creating symbiosis relationship with plants by modifying genetic structure of plants resulting in improving nutritional status and crops quality. This study was conducted in order to investigate the effect of Piriformospora indica inoculation on root colonization and uptake and transportation of phosphorus, zinc and iron by two wheat cultivars (Nicknejad and Azadi) in sterile sand-perlite (2:1 v/v) pot medium. The greenhouse experiment was conducted as a factorial, completely randomized design with three replications. Inoculation of P. indica increased chlorophyll a, b and total chlorophyll concentrations of Nicknejad cultivar, however had no significant effect on the mentioned index in Azadi cultivar. P. indica inoculation resulted in increase and decrease of iron concentration in shoot and root parts of Nicknejad cultivar, respectively. Despite of no significant effect of P. indica on root zinc concentration of Nicknejad cultivar, this fungus played an important role in increasing zinc concentration in the shoot of this cultivar. P. indica resulted in increase of zinc concentration in the root of Azadi cultivar but, had no significant effect on shoot zinc concentration . Phosphorus concentration in shoot and root of Nicknejad cultivar inoculated with P. indica, increased. Inoculation of P. indica resulted in increase of phosphorus concentration in shoot of Azadi cultivar but, had no significant effect on phosphorus concentration of root. In general, Nicknejad cultivar is proposed as a high compatible cultivar with the P. indica in order to enhancing nutrient uptake and thus improving yield quality.