Fungal endophyte infection changes growth attributes in Lolium multiflorum Lam

• Published in: Austral ecology Vol. 30; no. 1; pp. 49 - 57
• Main Authors: Vila-Aiub, M.M, Gundel, P.E, Ghersa, C.M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Pty 01.02.2005; Blackwell; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biological and medical sciences; dry matter partitioning; ecological competition; Ecology; endophytes; fitness; Flowers & plants; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungi; General aspects; grasslands; Inland Pampa; invasive species; Lolium multiflorum; natural selection; Neotyphodium; plant growth; roots; seedling emergence; seeds; symbiosis; symbiotic fungus; tillers; Argentina; Pampas region; Symbiosis; Monocotyledones; Growth; Lolium multiflorum; Interspecific association; Inland Pampa; Natural selection; Fungi; Infection; Gramineae; Angiospermae; Endophyte; symbiotic fungus; Spermatophyta; Interspecific relation; Thallophyta; Fitness
• ISSN: 1442-9985; 1442-9993
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2005.01423.x

Abstract Lolium multiflorum is a successful invader of postagricultural succession in the Inland Pampa grasslands in Argentina, becoming a dominant species in the plant community. Individual plants of this annual species are naturally highly infected with fungal endophytes (Neotyphodium sp.) from early successional stages. We assessed the effect of Neotyphodium infection on the biology of L. multiflorum. We evaluated growth attributes between endophyte infected (E+) and uninfected (E-) plants under non-competitive conditions during the normal growing season. E+ plants produced significantly more vegetative tillers and allocated more biomass to roots and seeds. Although seed germination rates were greater in endophyte free plants, the rate of emergence and the final proportion of emerged seedlings were similar between the biotypes. The greater production of vegetative tillers, and the greater resource allocation to roots and seeds are likely to confer an ecological advantage to E+ plants, thus enabling their dominance over the E- individuals in natural grasslands.