Udc 633.21:582.28:581.557 Application of Mycorrhizal Fungi in Landscape Turfgrass Establishment under Arid and Semiarid Environments

Turf grasses are considered an integral part of landscape ecological systems worldwide which provide functional, recreational and aesthetic benefits to society and the environment. In arid and semiarid regions (e.g., Mediterranean region), turf grass is usually grown under harsh and unfavorable growing conditions with low rainfall and high rates of evapotranspiration as well as in soils with nutrient deficiencies. Hence, growing turf grass in these regions becomes dependent on application of high levels of fertilizers as well as on excessive use of irrigation water, resulting in an environmental pollution. Therefore, it is important that turf grass plantations are managed in a sustainable way to reduce the impact of turf grass cultivation on ecosystems while maintaining healthy and productive turf through using such practices as mycorrhizal fungi technology. The application of mycorrhizal fungi technology is an option that can benefit both agronomic plant health and ecosystems. Mycorrhizae confer numerous benefits to host plants including improved plant growth, mineral nutrition, water uptake, tolerance to diseases and stresses such as drought and salinity. The aims of this paper were to review how mycorrhizal fungi might play a role in enhancing landscape turf establishment and productivity in arid and semiarid regions and to evaluate the effectiveness of application of commercial mycorrhizal inoculum to enhance plant growth and survival under field conditions. Field experiment was conducted to study the effects of arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) fungi inoculation on water use efficiency and establishment of a landscape turf. The results showed that turf grass inoculated with AM fungi used water more efficiently, established lawn more quickly and had more biomass than uninoculated turf grass. The conclusions of this paper indicated the potential of mycorrhiza inoculation in improving the fast establishment of turf landscape plants under arid and semiarid environments.