Assessment of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Status and Rhizobium on Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Cultivated in a Pb Contaminated Soil

Rhizobia and mycorrhizal fungi promote non-Legumes growth. This study investigated the ability of Rhizobium leguminosarum GM01 and Glomus spp. A01 isolates on the growth and uptake of lead (Pb) by date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) grown in heavy metal-polluted soils. The combination of A01 with GM01 increases the mycorrhizal colonization of date palm by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) with frequency (F%) of 86.67%. The selected isolates GM01 and A01 increased all plant growth parameters of date palm. The initial results indicate that the AMF and Rhizobium as a promising agent for promoting growth of plants. The metal tolerance trait exhibited by A01 and GM01 strains indicates their potentials as effective agents for phytoremediation of heavy metals in polluted environments. This ability may be of particular importance during restoration practices into habitats with a history of heavy metal pollution.