African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 4 (4), pp. 332-345, April 2005          
ISSN 1684–5315 © 2005 Academic Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Contribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus to red kidney and wheat plants tolerance grown in heavy metal-polluted soil

Gamal  Hassan Rabie*

Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Egypt.

*Current address: Science Department, Teachers’ College, El-Hassa, Hufuf, P.O. Box. 2313, Saudi Arabia. E-mail: rabiegam@hotmail.com. Fax: +966-3-5817030. Mobile: 00966507407567

Accepted 25 March, 2005

The researcher had investigated the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal inoculation in red kidney and wheat in heavy metals tolerance in soil artificially contaminated with high concentrations of zinc, copper, lead and cadmium. Metals accumulated by mycorrhizal wheat plants were mostly distributed in root tissues, suggesting that an exclusion strategy for metal tolerance widely exists in them. Mycorrhizal red kidney plants could accumulate relatively high metal concentrations in their shoots which indicated that internal detoxification metal tolerance mechanisms are also included. From a number of physiological indices measured in this study, mycorrhizal symbiosis significantly increased root and shoot dry weight, chlorophyll content and total lipid in wheat plants. It also significantly increased root and shoot dry weight, protein content and the activity of antioxidant enzymes in red kidney plants, when the two plant species are grown at heavy metals artificially contaminated soils. The beneficial effects of the AM fungus observed in this study aroused an interest in considering the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in plant-based strategies of remediation of highly heavy metal contaminated soils.

Key words: Antioxidant, chlorophyll, dry weight, mycorrhiza, phosphor, phytoremediation, pollution, symbiosis.