Anthyllis cytisoides and Spartium junceum are two leguminous shrubs native of semiarid mediterranean areas, often used in revegetation strategies. Mycorrhization of both shrubs with Glomus intraradices BEG 72 enhanced both plants growth and water relations under drought stress. Root colonization achieved by Glomus mosseae was lower than the level achieved by G. intraradices in both plants studied, and the effects of the inoculation with G. mosseae BEG 116 were less positive than those observed for G. intraradices. Before the onset of the drought stress period the specific leaf weight (SLW) of S. junceum plants inoculated with G. mosseae was lower than the SLW of control and G. intraradices plants. At the end of the stress period, after 15 days of withholding water, the relative water content of S. junceum twigs was lower for G. mosseae inoculated plants and higher for G. intraradices inoculated plants, compared to control, non-inoculated plants. At the end of the recovery period, 15 days after the reestablishment of watering, there were no differences between inoculation treatments on the parameters related to the plants water status. Anthyllis cytisoides plants inoculated with G. intraradices had lower leaf osmotic potential, more leaves, and higher chlorophyll content (measured as SPAD values). Anthyllis cytisoides plants responded to drought defoliating, but defoliation was lower for the plants inoculated with G. intraradices. At the end of the drought, the leaf osmotic potential was lowest for G. intraradices plants as was the relative water content (RWC) whilst Glomus mosseae inoculated plants had the highest RWC, SLW and osmotic potential values. At the end of the recovery period, all plants recuperated the osmotic potential values measured at the pre-stress period. In our experiments, G. intraradices BEG 72 was found to be superior to G. mosseae BEG 116, this difference could be attributed to the origin of the fungus, native from a Mediterranean area, compared to G. mosseae (BEG116) isolated from the UK.

Hydroseeding is a technique increasingly used to establish vegetation on large degraded areas, such as large-scale road construction sites and quarries. Native grasses and legume species are used on rehabilitation and restoration projects as a first step in the recovery of such places, prior to the establishment of native forbs and shrubs that occurs at a slower pace. The effect of mycorrhizal inoculation on the development of nine species of grasses and legumes that can be potentially used in restoration processes in the Mediterranean area was studied, in microcosm experiments under greenhouse conditions. The effect of adding arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) inoculum to a hydroseeding mixture was also investigated in greenhouse and in field conditions. In the hydroseeding experiments the mycorrhizal inoculum was added to the seed slurry in a jet agitated hydroseeding machine and sprayed to the soil surface with a pressurised spray in a one-step application. The study shows that Glomus intraradices Schenk & Smith BEG72 is able to establish the symbiosis when applied at sowing while Glomus mosseae (Nicol. & Gerd.) Gerdemann & Trappe BEG116 is not. It also confirms that legumes are more highly mycotrophic than grasses. The results of the hydroseeding experiments demonstrate the establishment of the symbiosis using this technology, both in the greenhouse and in the field. Mycorrhizal inoculation improved above ground plant growth and increased the legumes/grasses ratio.