An Epichloë endophyte affects the competitive ability of Festuca rubra against other grassland species

• Published in: Plant and soil Vol. 362; no. 1/2; pp. 201 - 213
• Main Authors: Vázquez-de-Aldana, Beatriz R., Zabalgogeazcoa, Iñigo, García-Ciudad, Antonia, García-Criado, Balbino
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01.01.2013; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; allelopathy; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomass; Biomass production; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Clover; companion crops; Ecology; Economic plant physiology; Endosymbionts; Festuca rubra subsp. rubra; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungal plant pathogens; General agronomy. Plant production; Grasses; Grassland soils; Grasslands; greenhouse experimentation; Infection; Infections; Life Sciences; Lotus corniculatus; Monoculture; Phosphates; phosphorus; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; Plant biology; Plant growth; Plant Physiology; Plant roots; Plant Sciences; Plantago lanceolata; Plants; Regular Article; Root biomass; roots; shoots; Soil microorganisms; Soil Science & Conservation; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; Symbiosis (nodules, symbiotic nitrogen fixation, mycorrhiza...); Trifolium pratense; Trifolium repens; Trifolium subterraneum; Red fescue; Allelopathy; Endophyte–plant interactions; Root biomass; Phosphate uptake; Phosphates; Grassland; Monocotyledones; Epichloë festucae; Endophyte-plant interactions; Biomass; Fungi; Absorption; Gramineae; Angiospermae; C3-Type; Species; Ascomycota; Vegetals; Root; Interaction; Competitive ability; Vegetative apparatus; Endophyte; Phosphorus compound; Spermatophyta; Fodder crop; Festuca rubra; Soil plant relation
• ISSN: 0032-079X; 1573-5036
• DOI: 10.1007/s11104-012-1283-7

Background and aims Festuca rubra plants are asymptomatically infected by the systemic fungal endophyte Epichloë festucae and high infection rates have been found in natural grasslands. Our objective was to determine the effect of endophyte infection on the competitive ability of Festuca rubra in binary mixtures against other grassland species. Methods In two glasshouse experiments, endophyteinfected (E+) and non-infected (E-) plants of two halfsib lines (PEN, RAB) of Festuca rubra were grown in monocultures and in binary mixtures against five grassland species: Trifolium fepens, Trifolium pratense, Trifolium subterraneum, Lotus corniculatus and Plantago lanceolata. Results Biomass production of F.rubra was affected by endophyte infection and plant line but not by competition with T. pratense. In the PEN line E+ plants produced less root biomass than E-; and in the RAB line E+ plants produced less shoot biomass than E-. In spite of these differences shoot and root biomass production of Trifolium pratense were more inhibited when growing with endophyte-infected plants of Festuca rubra than with E- plants, regardless of the plant line. In both F. rubra lines, the endophyte increased the phosphorus concentration in shoots. Regardless of F.rubra plant line, root biomass of the five target species was more inhibited when growing with endophyte-infected than with endophyte-free plants. Conclusions Irrespective of F.rubra line, endophyteinfected plants had a better competitive ability than non-infected plants, as indicated by the lower relative yield of companion plants when growing in mixture with E+ plants. We suggest an allelopathic effect of E+ red fescue on other grassland species.