JWSS - Journal of Water and Soil Science

Glomalin is a glycoprotein identified in and extracted from cell walls of hyphae and spores of Glomeral fungi. It deposites on soil particles and acts as a glue which leads to the formation and stabilization of soil aggregates. Water deficit stress by affecting mycorrizal symbiosis can alter glomalin production. This study was conducted as a factorial experiment arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD) with four replications using corn (Zea mays L. Single cross 704) under greenhouse conditions. The first factor was three levels of soil moisture including 10-30% (W₀), 35-55% (W₁), 60-90% depletion of available water (W₂) and the second factor was three species of mycorrhizal fungi, Glomus versiforme (Gv), Glomus intraradices (Gi), Glomus etunicatum (Ge) and non mycorrhizal control (NM). At the end of vegetative growth, easily extractable glomalin (EEG) and total glomalin (TG) were measured using the Bradford method after extraction from soil. Shoot and root dry weights and root colonization decreased by declining soil moisture level. Water deficit significantly increased the amount of EEG and TG in soil. Also, a significant increase in glomalin production was observed at W₂ level in all three fungal species compared to the W₀ and W₁ moisture levels. Moreover, by enhancing water deficit stress and decreasing root colonization, glomalin production per unit percent of root colonization was significantly increased.