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Three symbionts involved in interspecific plant-soil feedback: epichloid endophytes and mycorrhizal fungi affect the performance of rhizobia-legume symbiosis

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Abstract

Aims

Plants interact by modifying soil conditions in plant-soil feedback processes. Foliar endophytes of grasses exert multiple effects on host rhizosphere with potential consequences on plant-soil feedback. Here, we hypothesize that the grass-endophyte symbiosis impairs soil symbiotic potential, and in turn influences legume performance and nitrogen acquisition.

Methods

Soil was conditioned in pots, growing Lolium multiflorum with or without the fungal endophyte Epichloë and with or without arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Then, Trifolium repens grew in all types of conditioned soils with high or low rhizobia availability.

Results

Endophyte soil conditioning reduced AMF spores number and rhizobial nodules (−27 % and −38 %, respectively). Seedling survival was lower in endophyte-conditioned soil and higher in mycorrhizal soils (−27 % and +24 %, respectively). High rhizobia-availability allowed greater growth and nitrogen acquisition, independent of soil conditioning. Low rhizobia-availability allowed both effects only in endophyte-conditioned soil.

Conclusion

Endophyte-induced changes in soil (i) hindered symbiotic potential by reducing AMF spore availability or rhizobia nodulation, (ii) impaired legume survival irrespective of belowground symbionts presence, but (iii) mimicked rhizobia effects, enhancing growth and nitrogen fixation in poorly nodulated plants. Our results show that shoot and root symbionts can be interactively involved in interspecific plant-soil feedback.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Laura Ventura, Rudi Schäufele, Mirta M. Rabadán, for their technical assistance. Rizobacter Argentina S.A. (Pergamino, Argentina) generously donated rhizobial inoculants. We are grateful to Dr. Milena M. Manzur, the editor and three anonymous reviewers whose constructive comments on earlier versions improved the manuscript. P. G. P and M. D. are supported by postdoctoral fellowships from the National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET - Argentina). The study was supported by University of Buenos Aires, grants from ANPCyT (PICT 1525) and an international project cooperation from MINCyT (AL-1205, Argentina) - BMBF (01DN13006, Germany).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cátedra de Forrajicultura, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas vinculadas a la Agricultura (IFEVA), Facultad de Agronomía, Av. San Martín 4453, Buenos Aires, C1417DSE, Argentina

    P. A. García-Parisi, A. A. Grimoldi & M. Druille

  2. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia del Noroeste de la Provincia de Buenos -CITNOBA, CONICET – UNNOBA, Monteagudo 2772, Pergamino, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina

    P. A. García-Parisi

  3. Lehrstuhl für Grünlandlehre, Technische Universität München, D-85350, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany

    F. A. Lattanzi

  4. Cátedra de Ecología, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas vinculadas a la Agricultura (IFEVA), Facultad de Agronomía, Av. San Martín 4453, Buenos Aires, C1417DSE, Argentina

    M. Omacini

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  1. P. A. García-Parisi
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  2. F. A. Lattanzi
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  3. A. A. Grimoldi
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  5. M. Omacini
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Correspondence to P. A. García-Parisi.

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Responsible Editor: Etienne Laliberté.

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García-Parisi, P.A., Lattanzi, F.A., Grimoldi, A.A. et al. Three symbionts involved in interspecific plant-soil feedback: epichloid endophytes and mycorrhizal fungi affect the performance of rhizobia-legume symbiosis. Plant Soil 412, 151–162 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-016-3054-3

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