Abstract：
Physio-biochemical regulations governing crop growth period are pivotal for drought adaptation. Yet, the extent to which functionality of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AM fungi) varies across different stages of maize growth under drought conditions remains uncertain. Therefore, periodic functionality of two different AM fungi i.e., Rhizophagus irregularis SUN16 and Glomus monosporum WUM11 were assessed at jointing, silking, and pre-harvest stages of maize subjected to different soil moisture gradients i.e., well-watered (80% SMC (soil moisture contents)), moderate drought (60% SMC), and severe drought (40% SMC). The study found that AM fungi significantly (p < 0.05) affected various morpho-physiological and biochemical parameters at different growth stages of maize under drought. As the plants matured, AM fungi enhanced root colonization, glomalin contents, and microbial biomass, leading to increased nutrient uptake and antioxidant activity. This boosted AM fungal activity ultimately improved photosynthetic efficiency, evident in increased photosynthetic pigments and photosynthesis. Notably, R. irregularis and G. monosporum improved water use efficiency and mycorrhizal dependency at critical growth stages like silking and pre-harvest, indicating their potential for drought resilience to stabilize yield. The principal component analysis highlighted distinct plant responses to drought across growth stages and AM fungi, emphasizing the importance of early-stage sensitivity. These findings underscore the potential of incorporating AM fungi into agricultural management practices to enhance physiological and biochemical responses, ultimately improving drought tolerance and yield in dryland maize cultivation.
摘要：
控制作物生长期的生理生化法规对于适应干旱至关重要。然而，在干旱条件下，丛枝菌根真菌（AM真菌）在玉米生长的不同阶段的功能变化程度仍不确定。因此,两种不同AM真菌的周期性功能，即，在连接时评估了不规则根茎SUN16和单孢GlomusWUM11，丝丝，和玉米收获前阶段受到不同土壤水分梯度的影响，即充分浇水(80%SMC(土壤水分含量))，中度干旱（60%SMC），和严重干旱(40%SMC)。研究发现，干旱条件下，AM真菌对玉米不同生育期的各种形态生理生化指标均有显著影响（p<0.05）。随着植物的成熟,AM真菌增强根系定植，glomalin内容，和微生物生物量，导致营养吸收和抗氧化活性增加。这种增强的AM真菌活性最终提高了光合效率，在增加光合色素和光合作用方面明显。值得注意的是,在关键的生长阶段，如丝化和收获前，不规则菌和单孢菌提高了水分利用效率和菌根依赖性，表明它们具有抗旱性以稳定产量的潜力。主成分分析强调了跨生长阶段和AM真菌的不同植物对干旱的反应，强调早期敏感性的重要性。这些发现强调了将AM真菌纳入农业管理实践以增强生理和生化反应的潜力。最终提高旱地玉米种植的耐旱性和产量。
