2024-03-28T13:19:54Zhttp://digital.csic.es/dspace-oai/requestoai:digital.csic.es:10261/448052022-04-20T14:36:29Zcom_10261_53com_10261_6col_10261_306
Infection with the fungal endophyte Epichloë festucae may alter the allelopathic potential of red fescue
Vázquez de Aldana, Beatriz R.
Romo Vaquero, María
García Ciudad, Antonia
Petisco, Cristina
García Criado, Balbino
Festuca rubra
Fungal endophytes
Allelopathy
Seedling growth
Germination
Phenolic compounds
Red clover
White clover
Bird’s foot trefoil
Ribwort plantain
16 páginas, 3 tablas, 2 figuras
Red fescue (Festuca rubra) is a perennial grass used as both forage and turfgrass. Asymptomatic plants of this species are systemically infected by the fungal endophyte Epichloë festucae, which has a beneficial effect on the infected plants. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the endophyte Epichloë festucae on the allelopathic potential of Festuca rubra against four associated pasture species that are also considered as weeds in lawns, Trifolium pratense, Trifolium repens, Lotus corniculatus, and Plantago lanceolata. Two experiments were designed to evaluate the allelopathic effect of extracts from the roots and leaves of endophyte-infected (E+) and non-infected (E-) plants on the germination and seedling growth of the four target species. Regardless of the endophyte status of the host plant, leaf extracts elicited a stronger reduction in germination and seedling growth than root extracts. Extracts from E+ plants reduced the speed of germination index of Trifolium spp. to a greater extent than those from E- plants. Radicle length of the target species was the parameter most affected by the presence of the endophyte in F. rubra. Root extracts from E+ plants had a greater inhibitory effect on the radicle growth of the target species than did root extracts from E- plants. A greater concentration in total phenolic compounds was found in the roots of E+ plants than of E-; however, this difference was not observed in the leaves. Thus, the allelopathic potential of F. rubra is altered in infected plants.
This work was funded by project AGL2008-01159AGR from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and FEDER. Thanks are due to Dr. Nuria Pedrol for helpful comments in the experimental design and procedures and to Dr. Iñigo Zabalgogeazcoa for comments that improved the manuscript.
Peer reviewed
2011
artículo
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
Annals of Applied Biology 159: 281‐290
http://hdl.handle.net/10261/44805
10.1111/j.1744‐7348.2011.00495.x
en
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1744‐7348.2011.00495.x
open
Wiley-Blackwell