European Journal of Plant Pathology (2017) 148, 271-282

Adnan Sisic, Jelena Bacanovic and Maria Renate Finckh (2017)
Endophytic Fusarium equiseti stimulates plant growth and reduces root rot disease of pea (Pisum sativum L.) caused by Fusarium avenaceum and Peyronellaea pinodella
European Journal of Plant Pathology 148 (2), 271-282
Abstract: Endophytic root-colonizing fungi are an intriguing group of microorganisms that have the ability to form mutualistic associations with plants. Many endophytes confer benefits to their hosts such as plant growth promotion and disease suppression. Their potential to promote agro-ecosystem efficiency through beneficial impacts on their hosts is of great interest for agriculture and may contribute to reduced needs for agrochemicals. We investigated the ability of three Fusarium equiseti (Fe) isolates to endophytically colonize pea roots and the influence of endophytic development on plant growth, pathogen proliferation and root rot disease caused by F. avenaceum (Fa) and Peyronellaea pinodella (Pp). Fe was inoculated following sowing, while Fa and Pp were either inoculated simultaneously with Fe or 5 days after Fe. When only Fe was inoculated, two of the isolates significantly promoted plant growth at the end of the 4 week experiment. Simultaneous inoculation of Fe with Fa or pre-inoculation of pea plants for 5 days with any one of the three F. equiseti isolates resulted in disease suppression and significant reduction of Fa population, particularly in the root cortex. However, Fe isolates significantly reduced disease and root cortex colonization rates of Pp only in the plants inoculated with Fe 5 days before the pathogen. This study shows that F. equiseti can promote pea growth and has the ability to alter the interaction pea - Fa/Pp, consequently leading to reduced root rot disease severity.
(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): Maria R. Finckh

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Fusarium avenaceum	Pea (Pisum sativum)
	Didymella pinodella	Pea (Pisum sativum)
Fusarium equiseti (antagonist)	Fusarium avenaceum	Pea (Pisum sativum)
Fusarium equiseti (antagonist)	Didymella pinodella	Pea (Pisum sativum)