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Abstract
We applied chlorophyll a fluorescence as a biomarker to assess the growth enhancement of maize plants after inoculation with the mycorrhizal fungi Piriformospora indica, Glomus mosseae, or a mixed culture (P. indica, G. mosseae and G. caledonium), and compared it with uninoculated plants (controls). The quantum efficiencies for pigment system II (ϕ Po) were not much affected. The yield for electron flow (ϕ Eo = ϕ Po *ψo) was highly responsive to P. indica and mixed culture. Electron transport per trapping center (ψo) was remarkably influenced by the endophytes. Plants treated with P. indica and mixed culture showed relatively higher quantum yield compared to uninoculated plants. Absorption per reaction center was influenced by the endophytes. Piriformospora indica followed by mixed inoculum showed slightly lower values as compared to controls. The morphological markers, namley height of the plants and percentage colonization in the roots, reflected the biophysiological markers (chlorophyll a fluorescence); hence, the JIP test (a test applied to analyze fast fluorescence kinetics O-J-I-P) can be used as a sensitive and rapid tool for determining the efficiency of mycorrhizal fungi in host plants.