Abstract
The interactive effects of asexual Epichloë (formerly known as Neotyphodium) endophytes isolated from Hordeum brevisubulatum, Elymus tangutorum and Achnatherum inebrians, and seed-borne fungi on Elymus sibiricus seeds, were determined by an in vitro study using supernatants from liquid cultures of the endophyte strains. In an 8 week greenhouse study, the effects on the seedlings growth was measured. The in vitro study was carried out with the seed-borne fungi Alternaria alternata, Bipolaris sorokiniana, Fusarium avenaceum, and a Fusarium sp. isolated from E. sibiricus. Different concentrations and combinations of the liquid cultures of endophytic fungi enhanced the interim germination, germination rate, length of coleoptile and radicle, and seedling dry weight of E. sibiricus under stress from seed-borne fungi. In the greenhouse study, different concentrations of the supernatant of the endophytes from H. brevisubulatum and E. tangutorum but not A. inebrians, signficantly (P < 0.05) enhanced E. sibiricus seed germination. There was no significant (P > 0.05) increase of the tiller numbers after 2 weeks. However, later on, there were significant (P < 0.05) increases in tiller number (4–8 weeks), seedling height (2–8 weeks) and dry weight (2–8 weeks). The application of Epichloë endophyte culture supernatants was an effective strategy to improve seed germination and growth under greenhouse conditions.
Highlights
Endophytic fungal associations with grasses are very common, and the most intensively studied are those between ascomycete fungi and temperate grasses, in particular those involving asexual endophytes of the genus Epichloë (Schardl, 2001; Schardl et al, 2004)
Across the range of Epichloë supernatant examined interim germination of seed exposed to seed-borne fungi A. alternata, B. sorokiniana, F. avenaceum, and Fusarium sp. is 21.47–39.13%, 18.07–39.93%, 13.03–28.60%, and 13.77–33.70%, respectively
The seed germination rate decreased with the increase of concentration of endophytic fungi treated by Eg under all of the seed-borne fungi and Eb03 under Fusarium sp
Summary
Endophytic fungal associations with grasses are very common, and the most intensively studied are those between ascomycete fungi and temperate grasses, in particular those involving asexual endophytes of the genus Epichloë (Schardl, 2001; Schardl et al, 2004). Asexual or anamorph-typified Epichloë have a common origin with the sexual Epichloë or teleomorphtypified species (Kuldau et al, 1997; van Zijll de Jong et al, 2011; Leuchtmann et al, 2014). Epichloë endophytes can increase tolerance to pathogenic fungi, the deployment of Epichloë as agents for the biological control of diseases has shown mixed results (Kuldau and Bacon, 2008). In vitro suppression of plant pathogens by endophytic fungi has been demonstrated (White and Cole, 1985; Holzmann-Wirth et al, 2000), there is some evidence showing that colony growth of plant-pathogenic fungi is inhibited by Epichloë endophytes (Christensen and Latch, 1991; Christensen, 1996; Wäli et al, 2006) and that disease tolerance or resistance can be imparted by Epichloë species (Li et al, 2007b; Tian et al, 2008; Porras-Alfaro and Bayman, 2010). Dual-culture testing and inoculation of detached leaves have shown that E. gansuensis can inhibit growth and disease lesion development of some fungal pathogens (Li et al, 2007a)
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