EFFECTS OF FUNNELIFORMIS MOSSEAE INOCULATION ON CHILI PEPPER GROWTH UNDER REPEATED DROUGHT STRESS

Chili pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) is a common commodity used as spice and pharmaceutical uses around the world. However, chili pepper cultivation failure often occurs due to drought exposure. The inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), such as Funneliformis mosseae, has the potential to induce defense against drought stress through symbiotic association with plant roots. The aim of this research was to investigate the effects of F. mosseae inoculation on the growth of chili pepper under repeated drought stress. Chili pepper plants were exposed to three drought regimes for two cycles, with one rewatering event between the cycles. The plant agronomic variables, physiological performance, and microorganism parameters were observed. The results showed that the plant height, fresh and dry shoot weight, along with fresh and dry root weight increased significantly with F. mosseae inoculation under repeated drought stress. The F. mosseae treatment also increased water relative content and decreased proline and lipid peroxidation significantly. Although drought exposure decreased the AMF root colonization rate, the total microbial activity and glomalin-related soil protein were still increased by the F. mosseae inoculation. However, F. mosseae inoculation was negatively correlated to the abundance of phosphate solubilizing microorganisms. The results suggested that F. mosseae gave positive effects on C. frutescens L. growth under repeated drought stress through induced morphological and physiological responses.