Ghasemi, Masoumeh , Khalili, Banafshe , Zahedi, Morteza , Aalipour, Hamed
2026-03-01 RHIZOSPHERE 2026 37(卷), null(期), (null页)
Drought severely limits sesame production in arid regions. While arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can enhance drought tolerance, their efficacy is context-dependent, and a systematic ranking of AMF species for sesame, considering genotype-specific responses, is lacking. We assessed two cultivars (drought-sensitive 'Naz', drought-tolerant 'Yekta') inoculated with four AMF species (Claroideoglomus claroideum, Funneliformis mosseae, Rhizophagus irregularis, and Glomus fasciculatum) under water deficit. A definitive genotype-AMF synergy was found. 'Naz' with Cl. claroideum showed superior resilience, reducing yield loss by 24.4 % and increasing yield by 59.8 % via improved nutrient uptake. The overall efficacy hierarchy was Cl. claroideum > F. mosseae > R. irregularis approximate to G. fasciculatum. While Cl. claroideum specialized in nutrient acquisition, F. mosseae stimulated soil phosphatase activity. This study establishes the first ranked hierarchy of AMF efficacy for sesame under drought and reveals a profound cultivar-specific response, providing a framework for precision bio-inoculation in arid agroecosystems.