Abstract
Previous studies have shown that the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Glomus deserticola (Trappe, Bloss and Menge) can diminish the negative effect of Verticillium dahliae Kleb. on pepper yield. On the other hand, it is known that AMF can be more beneficial for plant growth and physiology under dry conditions than when soil moisture is plentiful. Therefore, our objective was to assess if a moderate water deficit imposed on pepper plants before their inoculation with V. dahliae could improve the effectiveness of G. deserticola as biocontrol agent. In the present experiment, the delay in disease development in Verticillium-inoculated plants associated with AMF did not occur under well watered conditions. In addition, the establishment of mycorrhizal symbiosis and the development of structures by AMF were delayed when both symbiotic and pathogenic fungi infected the same root. Therefore, it is suggested that the equilibrium between pepper plant, G. deserticola and V. dahliae is so complex that small changes in competition between symbiotic and pathogenic fungi for host resources can modify the efficiency of AMF as a biocontrol agent. On the other hand, water deficit enhanced the deleterious effect of V. dahliae on fruit set and yield only when pepper plants were not associated with G. deserticola, which reinforces the idea that AMF may be more important for host plants subjected to stressful conditions. However, comparing well watered non-mycorrhizal and predroughted mycorrhizal plants, we found that moderate water deficit imposed before inoculation with V. dahliae did not improve the effectiveness of G. deserticola as a biocontrol agent.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allen SE, Grimmshaw HM, Parkinson JA, Quarmby C, Roberts JP (1976) Methods in plant ecology. In: Chapman SB (ed) Chemical Analysis. Blackwell, Oxford, pp 411–466
Alvino A, Centritto M, Di Lorenzi F, Tedeschi P (1990) Gas exchange of pepper grown in lysimeter under different irrigation regimes. Acta Hortic 278:137–147
Aroca R, Irigoyen JJ, Sánchez-Díaz M (2003) Drought enhances maize chilling tolerance. II. Photosynthetic traits and protective mechanisms against oxidative stress. Physiol Plant 117:540–549
Augé RM (2001) Water relations, drought and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. Mycorrhiza 11:3–42
Azcón-Aguilar C, Barea JM (1997) Applying mycorrhiza biotechnology to horticulture: significance and potentials. Sci Hortic 68:1–24
Azcón-Aguilar C, Jaizme-Vega MC, Calvet C (2002) The contribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for bioremediation. In: Gianinazzi S, Schüepp H, Barea JM, Haselwandter K (eds) Mycorrhizal technology in agriculture; from genes to bioproducts. Birkhäuser, Berlin, pp 187–197
Chellemi DO (2000) Adaptation of approaches to pest control in low input agriculture. Crop Prot 19:855–858
Clapham WM, Marsh HV (1987) Relationship of vegetative growth and pepper yield. Can J Plant Sci 67:521–530
Davies FT Jr, Potter JR, Linderman RG (1992) Mycorrhiza and repeated drought exposure affect drought resistance and extraradical hyphae development of pepper plants independent of plant size and nutrient content. J Plant Physiol 139:289–294
Davies FT Jr, Potter JR, Linderman RG (1993) Drought resistance of mycorrhizal pepper plants independent of leaf P concentration -response in gas exchange and water relations. Physiol Plant 87:45–53
Davies FT Jr, Olalde-Portugal V, Aguilera-Gomez L, Alvarado MJ, Ferrera-Cerrato RC, Boutton TW (2002) Alleviation of drought stress of Chile ancho pepper (Capsicum annuum L. cv. San Luis) with arbuscular mycorrhiza indigenous to Mexico. Sci Hortic 92:347–359
García-Mina JM, Jordana R, Aguirreolea J, Hernández MA (1996) The effect of a special organic amendment on the development of pepper plants cultivated in a soil infested with Verticillium dahliae. In: Rodríguez-Barrueco C (ed) Fertilizers and environment. Kluwer, Dordrecht, pp 301–303
Garmendia I, Goicoechea N, Aguirreolea J (2004a) Plant phenology influences the effect of mycorrhizal fungi on the development of Verticillium-induced wilt in pepper. Eur J Plant Pathol 110:227–238
Garmendia I, Goicoechea N, Aguirreolea J (2004b) Effectiveness of three Glomus species in protecting pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) against verticillium wilt. Biol Control 31:296–305
Goicoechea N, Antolín MC, Sánchez-Díaz M (1997a) Gas exchange is related to the hormone balance in mycorrhizal or nitrogen-fixing alfalfa subjected to drought. Physiol Plant 100:989–997
Goicoechea N, Antolín MC, Sánchez-Díaz M (1997b) Influence of arbuscular mycorrhizae and Rhizobium on nutrient content and water relations in drought stressed alfalfa. Plant Soil 192:261–268
Goicoechea N, Aguirreolea J, Cenoz S, García-Mina JM (2000) Verticillium dahliae modifies the concentrations of proline, soluble sugars, starch, soluble protein and abscisic acid in pepper plants. Eur J Plant Pathol 106:19–25
Goicoechea N, Aguirreolea J, Cenoz S, García-Mina JM (2001) Gas exchange and flowering in Verticillium-wilted plants. J Phytopathol 149:281–286
Goicoechea N, Aguirreolea J, García Mina JM (2004) Alleviation of verticillium wilt in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) by using the organic amendment COA H of natural origin. Sci Hortic 101:23–37
Hayman DS, Barea JM, Azcón R (1976) Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza in southern Spain: its distribution in crops growing in soil of different fertility. Phytopathol Mediterr 15:1–6
Horton R, Beese F, Wierenga PJ (1982) Physiological response of chilli pepper to trickle irrigation. Agron J 74:551–555
Hoyos GP, Laurer FI, Anderson NA (1993) Early detection of Verticillium wilt resistance in a potato breeding program. Am Potato J 70:535-541
Irigoyen JJ, Pérez de Juan J, Sánchez-Díaz M (1996) Drought enhances chilling tolerance in a chilling-sensitive maize (Zea mays) variety. New Phytol 134:53–59
Katerji N, Mastrorilli M, Hamdy A (1993) Effects of water stress at different growth stages on pepper yield. Acta Hortic 335:165–171
Larsen J, Bodker L (2001) Interactions between pea root-inhabiting fungi examined using signature fatty acids. New Phytol 149:487–493
Marcelis LFM (1996) Sink strength as a determinant of dry matter partitioning in the whole plant. J Exp Bot 47:1281–1291
Narisawa K, Kawamata H, Currah RS, Hashiba T (2002) Suppression of Verticillium wilt in eggplant by some fungal root endophytes. Eur J Plant Pathol 108:103–109
Pellitero M, Pardo A, Simon A, Suso ML, Cerrolaza A (1993) Effect of irrigation regimes on yield and fruit composition of processing pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). Acta Hortic 335:257–263
Peña JI, Sánchez-Díaz M, Aguirreolea J, Becana M (1988) Increased stress tolerance of nodule activity in the Medicago-Rhizobium-Glomus symbiosis under drought. J Plant Physiol 133:79–83
Phillips JM, Hayman DS (1970) Improved procedures for clearing roots and staining parasitic and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for rapid assessment of infection. Trans Br Mycol Soc 55:158–161
Ruiz-Lozano JM, Azcón R (1995) Hyphal contribution to water uptake in mycorrhizal plants as affected by the fungal species and water status. Physiol Plant 95:472–478
Ryan MH, Graham JH (2002) Is there a role for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in production agriculture? Plant Soil 244:263–271
Sánchez-Díaz M, Pardo M, Antolín MC, Peña JI, Aguirreolea J (1990) Effect of water stress on photosynthetic activity in the Medicago-Rhizobium-Glomus symbiosis. Plant Sci 71:215–221
Tenuta M, Lazarovits G (2002) Ammonia and nitrous acid from nitrogenous amendments kill the microsclerotia of Verticillium dahliae. Phytopathology 92:255–264
Van Loenen MCA, Turbett Y, Mullins CE, Feilden NEH (2003) Low temperature-short duration steaming of soil kills soil-borne pathogens, nematode pests and weeds. Eur J Plant Pathol 109:993–1002
Weatherley PE (1950) Studies in the water relations of the cotton plant. I. The field measurements of water deficits in leaves. New Phytol 49:81–87
Wien HC (1997) Peppers. In: Wien HC (ed) The physiology of vegetable crops. CAB International, Wallingford, pp 259–293
Xiao CL, Subbarao KV, Schulbach KF, Koike ST (1998) Effects of crop rotation and irrigation on Verticillium dahliae microsclerotia in soil and wilt in cauliflower. Phytopathology 88:1046–1055
Acknowledgements
The Plan de Investigación Universidad de Navarra (PIUNA) and Gobierno Vasco (AE-2000) supported this work.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Garmendia, I., Goicoechea, N. & Aguirreolea, J. Moderate drought influences the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi as biocontrol agents against Verticillium-induced wilt in pepper. Mycorrhiza 15, 345–356 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00572-004-0336-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00572-004-0336-z