Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Induce Tolerance to Salinity Stress in Taro Plantlets (<i>Colocasia esculenta</i> L. Schott) during Acclimatization

Soil salinity is a problem that affects soil fertility and threatens agri-food crop production worldwide. Biotechnology, through plant micropropagation and the use of biofertilizers such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), is an alternative to increase productivity and induce tolerance to salinity stress in different crops. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different doses of the fungus <i>Glomus intraradices</i> on the ex vitro development of taro (<i>Colocasia esculenta</i> L. Schott cv. Criolla) plantlets under salinity stress during the acclimatization stage. In vitro-obtained <i>C. esculenta</i> plantlets were inoculated at different doses (0, 100, and 200 spores per plantlet) of <i>G. intraradices</i> during acclimatization. At 60 d of acclimatization in the greenhouse, plantlets were exposed to 100 mM NaCl salinity stress for 10 d. After the stress period, plantlet development, colonization percentage, and biomass were evaluated. In addition, the content of chlorophyll, carotenoids, proteins, proline, glycine-betaine, soluble phenols, and antioxidant capacity were quantified. The results showed differences in the developmental, physiological, and biochemical variables evaluated; however, no changes in total protein content were observed. Spore colonization showed that the symbiotic association has positive effects on the development of plantlets with or without salinity stress. This symbiotic interaction contributes to salinity stress tolerance in <i>C. esculenta</i> plantlets. The early application of AMF in in vitro-obtained taro plantlets is an alternative to increase or maintain the productivity of this crop in saline soils.