Vol. 11, Issue 12 (2022)

Author(s):
Shantharaja CS, Nethra N and Naveen K

Abstract:
Endophytes are widely studied because of their positive association with plants in modulating growth and development. Four fungal endophytes were isolated from plants adopted to extreme environmental conditions like drought and salinity area. The study was conducted in pots under poly house. The experiments were set up in 3 conditions viz., normal (without stress), salinity and drought stress conditions to evaluate effect of fungal endophyte bio-priming on morphological, physiological, and biochemical parameters in Rice Var. IR 64. SF5 had recorded increased plant height (37.8 and 33.8 cm) and root length (25.8 and 27.2 cm) under unstress and salinity stress (EC:4 dS/m), under drought stress (60% FC), V4J had shown increased plant height (36.2 cm) compared to control. The endophyte strain V4J had recorded lowest Malondialdehyde content of 0.129, 0.151 and 0.159 µg/g FW under unstress, salinity and drought stress respectively. Antioxidant enzyme (catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase) activity was higher in endophyte bio-primed plants under normal and stressful conditions in rice. The study concluded that, use of fungal endophytes can enhance early plant growth and antioxidant activity under stressful conditions.