The results of combined analysis of variance of two years are showed in Table 2.
Physiological Characteristics
Chlorophyll content index
Highest level of chlorophyll content in first year with a mean of 46.70 was in treatment compound I
1F
6 and lowest chlorophyll content with a mean of 12.07 was in treatment compound I
3F
0. In second year, highest chlorophyll content belonged to the treatment compound I
1F
6 with a mean of 49.89 and lowest chlorophyll content in second year with a mean of 11.11 belonged to treatment compound I
3F
0 (Table 3). Combined inoculation of bean with Rhizobium, pseudomonas and mycorrhizal fungi under optimal irrigation conditions as well as in water shortage conditions compared to non-inoculated control increased significantly chlorophyll content of plant and under water shortage conditions highest resistance was seen against water shortage and finally highest seed yield has been obtained. Effect of biological fertilizers on leaf may depend on efficiency of fixed nitrogen supply biologically, soluble phosphorus and production of plant hormones, which can stimulate absorption of nutrients, enhance process of photosynthesis in plant and thereby enhance plant growth
(Manbari et al., 2017). Kaur et al., (2015) in a study on chickpea stated that
Rhizobium inoculation significantly increased chlorophyll content as compared to control.
The density of stomata on abbaxial and addaxial
According to Table 3, in first year, highest density of stomata on abbaxial (d = 188) was obtained from compound I
3F
0 and lowest density of stomata (d = 19) was obtained from the compound I
1F
6. In second year, highest density of stomata on abbaxial (d = 149) was obtained from the compound I
3F
0 and lowest density of stomata (d = 28) was obtained from compound I1F6. In all compounds, increasing irrigation range from 70 mm to 150 mm evaporation increased density of stomata on abbaxial. This may be due to reduced leaf area and cell size due to water shortage stress and as a result of increased stomatal density. The large number of stomata on addaxial is also directly related to the loss of water from the leaf
(Doheny-Adams et al., 2012).
In first year, highest density of stomata on addaxial (d = 63) was in compound I
3F
0 and lowest density of stomata (d = 11) was in compound I
1F
6. In second year, the maximum density of stomata on addaxial (d = 60) was in compound I
3F
0 and minimum density of stomata (d = 15) was in compound I
1F
6. Results showed that triple application of biological fertilizers under no stress and water shortage conditions had less density of stomata.
Stomata conductance
According to Table 3, highest stomata conductance (0.99 sec/cm) in first year was seen in compound I
1F
6 and lowest (12.2 Sec/cm) was seen in the treatment compound I
3F
0. In second year, highest stomata conductance (1.30 Sec/cm) belonged to compound I
1F
6 and lowest (15 sec/cm) belonged to compound I
3F
0. Bean stomata conduction response to biological fertilizers under maximum water shortage conditions has not been significantly influenced by biological fertilizers but under optimal irrigation conditions it has been more affected by biological fertilizers, so that in first year, the compounds I
1F
1, I
1F
3, I
1F
5 and I
1F
6 showed an increase in stomata conductance by 52.63 %, 36.84 %, 31.57 % and 73.68 % compared to compound I
1F
0, respectively. In second year, compounds I
1F
4, I
1F
5 and I
1F
6 compared to compound I
1F
0 showed an increase in stomata conductance by 43.66 %, 49.29 % and 83.06 % (Table 3).
Manafi et al., (2010) reported that both species of mycorrhizal fungus increased stomata conductance significantly compared to the control, and with increasing humidity stress, stomata conduction reduced. In this case, we can say that mycorrhizal plants can better drain soil water, thus keep stomata more open and less exposed to water shortage stress.
Cell leakage
According to Table 3, highest leakage rate in first year was observed in compound I
3F
0 (81.33 mmho/cm), and lowest was observed in the compound I
1F
6 (9.33 mmho/cm). In second year, highest leakage rate was observed in compound I
3F
0 (72 mmho/cm) and lowest was observed in treatment compound I
1F
6 (8 mmho/cm). In compounds with increasing levels of water shortage, cellular leakage increased due to the fact that the cytoplasmic membrane of plants’ cells under stress had low stability, as well as plants under water shortage conditions compared to plants under common conditions of irrigation had higher EC. Higher EC indicates low cytoplasmic membranes. As a result, under water shortage conditions, membrane has low stability, resulting in an increase in intracellular leakage. Water shortage with affecting the structure of membrane of cell increases the permeability of membrane relative to ions and macromolecules. Triple application of biological fertilizers under both normal irrigation and maximum water shortage conditions had least leakage among other biological fertilizers, it is likely that triple application of biological fertilizers provided plant with more suitable conditions and causes increasing diameter of plant cell wall and reducing cell leakage in plants.
Relative water content (RWC)
Highest RWC in first year with a mean of 61.67 % was in compound I
1F
6 and lowest RWC with a mean of 43.33 % belonged to compound I
3F
0. In second year, highest RWC (69.53 %) belonged to the compound I
1F
6 and lowest RWC (45.03 %) was observed in compound I
3F
0 (Table 3). Mean comparison of treatments showed that F
6 biological fertilizer had the most significant effect on RWC at all three levels of irrigation compared to other biological fertilizers, and could be more effective on reducing the side effects of water shortage. Higher RWC of leaf in triple-inoculation treatment may possibly be attributed to fact that mycorrhiza fungus with producing a network of hyphae provided plant with much soil volume, thus providing plant roots with much water.
Auge et al., (2015) stated that mycorrhiza absorbs more water and improves the aqueous interactions of plants through changes in the root morphology, prolongation of the host plant root system and increase in absorption through the fungi hyphae. Also, accumulation of ions or organic matter in leaf cells’ vacuola under water shortage stress occurs more in mycorrhizal plants and reduces osmotic potential of leaf cells.
Leaf water potential (LWP)
LWP under optimal irrigation conditions (irrigation after 70 mm evaporation) with a range of -6.134 bar was significantly higher than irrigation withdrawal treatments and under water shortage conditions (irrigation after 110 mm and 150 mm evaporation) with a significant difference was in two different statistical group. Loss of LWP in irrigation after 110 mm and 150 mm evaporation are 45% and 98%, respectively, compared to irrigation after 70 mm evaporation (Fig 1). With reducing water potential in soil, transpiration rate of plant reduced and growth limited (Mullet and Whitsitt, 1996).
Highest LWP was obtained in first year in F6, which was -8.49 bar. Lowest LWP was observed in F0 treatment. In second year, highest LWP was obtained in F
6 treatment equivalent to -7.36 bar, and lowest LWP was obtained in F
0 treatment (Table 4). In first year, application of F
4 and F
6 biological fertilizers increased LWP by 12.69% and 15.77%, respectively, in comparison with control (Table 4). In second year, application of F
1, F
2, F
4, F
5 and F
6 fertilizers increased LWP by 10.31%, 12.30%, 20.33%, 16.33% and 26.98%, respectively, compared to F
0 treatment (Fig 2).
Mycorrhiza fungus increased leaf water potential in comparison with non-fungal plants by opening plant stomata, increasing evaporation and water absorption
(Zarei et al., 2013).
Grain yield
In first year, highest grain yield (3564 kg/ha) was seen in the treatment compound I
1F
6 and lowest yield (482.3 kg/ha) was seen in the treatment compound. In second year, highest grain yield (4621.4 kg/ha) belonged to the treatment compound I
1F
6 and lowest yield (553.3 kg/ha) belonged to the treatment compound I
3F
0 (Table 3). All treatments of biological fertilizers at all irrigation levels increased grain yield of beans compared to the control treatment (Table 3). With increasing the intensity of water shortage stress, yield reduced, and biological fertilizers, especially in combination with F
6, had a positive effect on grain yield and increased yield compared to the treatments with no biological fertilizer. The highest yield was in the treatments with biological fertilizers when water needed for the plant is provided and the lowest grain yield was observed in the treatments with no biological fertilizers and maximum water shortage conditions. These results indicate a positive correlation between
Arbuscular mycorrhiza fungus, Rhizobium bacteria and Pseudomonas bacteria, the application of which increased yield compared to the separate application of these three microorganisms. It seems that rhizobium biological fertilizer increases the yield of beans under optimal irrigation conditions with increasing the efficiency of biological fixation of nitrogen. Rhizobacteria stimulating the growth of plants with increasing the plant access to important nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus and increasing root growth increased bean grain yield under both optimal irrigation and water shortage conditions. Also combined application of (F1+F2+F3) might have helped to enhance the biological activity in the soil, soil characters’ improvements, better root development, improved transport of nutritional elements, enhanced chlorophyll content synthesis and photosynthesis, solubilization of nutrients resulting in higher nutrients uptake by red bean compared to other treatments.
Khandelwal et al., (2012) reported that the inoculation of Rhizobium + PSB increased cowpea grain yield by 13.80 % compared to the control
Lingaraju et al., (2016) reported higher seed yield of soybean was obtained with the treatment combination of dual inoculation of PSB+VAM compared to control.