Defoliation effects on the arbuscular mycorrhizas of ten perennial grass genotypes in arid Patagonia, Argentina

Abstract

Pappophorum vaginatum is the most abundant C 4, warm-season perennial grass in rangelands of northeastern, arid Patagonia, which is often exposed to continuous grazing. Eragrostis curvula is the only naturalized, C 4 warm-season genotype that has successfully established from seed during moist years in the study region, that is characterized by a scarce forage availability to livestock during the spring and summer. Successful introduction of perennial forage genotypes is then critical in that region. No studies have yet been conducted to determine the greater abundance of P. vaginatum compared to that of other native C 4 grass genotypes ( Aristida subulata, A. spegazzinii, Sporobolus cryptandrus) in the study area. The effect of defoliation on arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization was investigated on the four native, one naturalized and five introduced, C 3 perennial grass genotypes ( Leymus cinereus cvs. “Magnar” and “Trailhead”, and Achnatherum hymenoides cvs. “Paloma”, “Rimrock” and “Nezpar”) growing at the field. We hypothesized that the magnitude of mycorrhizal colonization (1) is similar on defoliated than on undefoliated plants of the native and naturalized genotypes, (2) is greater in the native and naturalized than in the introduced genotypes, and (3) is greatest in P. vaginatum than in all remaining genotypes. Plants of all ten genotypes were either exposed or not to a severe defoliation twice in the growing seasons of 2007/2008 and 2008/2009. The results showed that all studied genotypes maintained arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization levels following defoliation similar to undefoliated controls. The greatest arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization was often found on both cultivars of L. cinereus among all genotypes. The greatest arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization in P. vaginatum than in the other native genotypes at the end of the study, parameter that contributes to defoliation tolerance, could help to explain its greater abundance in rangelands of central Argentina. The higher arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization in both cultivars of L. cinereus might contribute to their successful establishment and survival in rangelands of northeastern, arid Patagonia. Genotype introduction in these rangelands is likely to affect community dynamics because of variable effects of the mycorrhizal symbiosis on the various plant genotypes.