Field Results Confirm Natural Plant Protection by the Endophytic Fungus Epichloee typhina against the Pathogenic Fungus Cladosporium phlei on Timothy Leaves.

Abstract

Cladosporium phlei as well as Epichloe typhina are natural fungal pathogens of timothy grass (Phleum pratense). An increase of resistance of the grass against C. phlei in the presence of E. typhina was already shown in several experimental designs. However, E. typhina can grow endophytically for long periods without causing external symptoms which makes the detection of infected plants and, thus, an exact evaluation of the resistance effect in the field difficult. New or modified methods were developed and used for the effective detection of the endophyte in field samples and for the isolation of both fungi. The relevance of a protective effect of E. typhina in timothy grass against infection with C. phlei was clearly established in field samples as well as in growth chamber and in vitro experiments.