ISOLATION an‎d EVALUATION OF SALT-TOLERANT MICROORGANISMS an‎d THEIR IMPACT IN ADAPTATION OF FABA BEAN TO SALINITY STRESS

The target of the present study is the selecting salt tolerant Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar viceae through isolated them from salt-affected soils of North Delta of Egypt, and evaluated for their efficiency and salt tolerance, thereafter, the best efficient and salt-tolerant selected isolates along with A. mycorrhizae were used to inoculate faba bean plants grown in pots to elucidate their effects on ameliorating salt effects on the plant. Rhizobial isolates varied in their tolerance to salinity. The isolates bringing from salt soils had more tolerance over those isolated from normal soil. The isolates of R2 and R6 were the superior. They confer the plants the highest nodules dry weight, plant dry weight and N-content. The plant exhibited the best growth and elements uptake (N, P and K-contents) when inoculated with the mixture of the tolerant rhizobia and mycorrhizae, especially R2+M treatment. Thus, we urged farmers to applying salt-tolerant inoculums in agricultural practices in order to increasing productivity of the crops under salinity condition. In addition, rather studies should be extended to explore the great benefits of microorganisms to alleviate different stresses on the crop.