neotyphodium spp.- grass association in natural grassland in Argentina
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33584/rps.13.2006.3108Abstract
The agronomic importance of the grass-endophyte association became apparent after it was linked to livestock diseases. This paper reports the incidence of endophytes in natural grasslands in Argentina from data collected through grass seed collections, tillers and culms from natural grasslands. A total of 159 samples were analysed: 144 grass collections from 30 species were obtained from accessions (germplasm bank of EEA Balcarce- INTA), and 15 samples were collected in the field in the province of Buenos Aires (Balcarce and Ayacucho). The samples were analysed according to Saha et al. (1988) or Belanger (1996). Endophytes were found in only nine of the 30 species of accessions analysed; accessions of Lolium multiflorum showed the highest incidence of endophyte infection, ranging from 57 to 100%. Of the 15 field populations collected: Festuca arundinacea and L. multiflorum samples were infected with infection ranging from 89 to 100%; populations of Bothriochloa, Deyeuxia, Piptochaetium, Sporobolus, Stipa megapotamia, S. papposa, were endophyte free. The economic losses to the livestock industry and the potential benefits of endophytes as biological agents to improve plant fitness and pest resistance of forage grasses increases the importance of determining the incidence of fungal endophytes in grass germplasm collections and natural grasslands. Keywords: native grasses, endophytes, naturalised grasses, Argentina
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