Austral Ecology (2005) 30, 49-57

Martin M. Vila-Aiub, Pedro E. Gundel and Claudio M. Ghersa (2005)
Fungal endophyte infection changes growth attributes in Lolium multiflorum Lam.
Austral Ecology 30 (1), 49-57
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.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Martin M. Vila-Aiub

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Lolium perenne multiflorum (weed)		Argentina
	Epichloë (genus)		Argentina