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Influence of fungal endophyte on plant water status, non-structural carbo-hydrate content and biomass partitioning in Brachiaria grasses grown under drought stress
Citation
Odokonyero, K and Arango, JAC and de la Cruz Jimenez Serna, J and Rao, IM and Botwright Acuna, T, Influence of fungal endophyte on plant water status, non-structural carbo-hydrate content and biomass partitioning in Brachiaria grasses grown under drought stress, Proceedings of the 17th Australian Agronomy Conference 2015, 20-24 September 2015, Hobart, Australia, pp. 1-3. (2015) [Refereed Conference Paper]
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Copyright Statement
Copyright 2015 Australian Society of Agronomy Inc.
Official URL: http://agronomyaustraliaproceedings.org/images/sam...
Abstract
Fungal endophytes are known to improve drought resistance in plants, although mechanisms for such
tolerance remain unknown. A greenhouse study was performed using five Brachiaria grass cultivars, cvs. (B.
decumbens cv. Basilisk, B. humidicola cv. Tully, B. brizantha cv. Marandu, Brachiaria hybrids cv. Cayman
and cv. Mulato II) to test the influence of fungal endophyte on plant water status (measured as relative water
content of leaf), total non-structural carbohydrates (TNC) content and biomass partitioning. Results on the
influence of endophyte infection in only two cultivars (cv. Cayman and cv. Tully) are presented. After 24
days of drought stress, endophyte infection significantly increased relative water content in cv. Cayman and
cv. Tully by 20% and 8.4%, respectively and reduced leaf dry matter content by 17% and 8.9%, respectively
(p<0.05). Under well-watered condition, the endophyte significantly reduced shoot and whole plant TNC in
cv. Cayman by 19.3% and 15.5%, respectively relative to uninoculated plants (p<0.05). Furthermore, stem,
root and total biomass in cv. Tully were reduced due to the endophyte by 10.3% (p=0.046), 18.5% (p=0.006)
and 11.9% (p=0.022), respectively under drought stress.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Conference Paper |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | tropical forages, endophytes, symbiosis, plant physiological responses |
| Research Division: | Agricultural, Veterinary and Food Sciences |
| Research Group: | Crop and pasture production |
| Research Field: | Crop and pasture improvement (incl. selection and breeding) |
| Objective Division: | Plant Production and Plant Primary Products |
| Objective Group: | Environmentally sustainable plant production |
| Objective Field: | Environmentally sustainable plant production not elsewhere classified |
| UTAS Author: | Odokonyero, K (Mr Kennedy Odokonyero) |
| UTAS Author: | Botwright Acuna, T (Associate Professor Tina Acuna) |
| ID Code: | 107194 |
| Year Published: | 2015 |
| Deposited By: | Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture |
| Deposited On: | 2016-03-08 |
| Last Modified: | 2016-09-05 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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