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No evidence for allelopathic effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the non-host plant Stellaria media

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Abstract

Background and aims

Increasing evidence suggests that several plants, particularly non-mycorrhizal species, are negatively affected by the presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Mechanisms explaining suppressive effects of AMF are, however, still poorly understood. Here we test whether growth suppression of the non-host weed Stellaria media in the presence of AMF can be explained by mycorrhizal alellopathy.

Methods

We grew S. media in microcosms where an active AM mycelium was supported by neighboring wheat (Triticum aestivum) plants. To test for allelopathy, we added activated carbon (AC) to the soil substrate. In addition, we performed two complementary experiments where extracts from roots extensively colonized by AMF (AM exudates) were directly applied to S. media seeds and seedlings.

Results

Stellaria media plants grown in microcosms with AM mycelium showed an 8-fold biomass reduction compared to microcosms where AMF were absent. The addition of AC, which is thought to reduce allelopathic effects by binding organic compounds, did not greatly mitigate the negative effect of AM mycelium on S. media growth. Moreover, AM exudates did not significantly reduce S. media germination and growth.

Conclusions

Results from this study confirm that non-hosts like S. media can be highly suppressed in the presence of AMF. However, we found no evidence that mycorrhizal allelopathy was a major mechanism responsible for growth suppression of S. media in the presence of AMF. Other mechanisms might therefore be more significant in explaining suppressive effects of AMF on non-host plant species.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Jürg Hiltbrunner for wheat seeds and Caroline Scherrer for AMF inoculum preparation. We also thank Cameron Wagg for comments on this manuscript and Yann Hautier for statistical advice. This work was supported by the Swiss Federal Government (Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon Research Station ART) and grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation (grant numbers: 315230_130764/1 and 31003AS_125428).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ecological Farming Systems, Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon Research Station ART, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046, Zürich, Switzerland

    Rita S. L. Veiga, Keya Howard & Marcel G. A. van der Heijden

  2. Plant-Microbe Interactions, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CH, The Netherlands

    Rita S. L. Veiga & Marcel G. A. van der Heijden

  3. Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland

    Keya Howard & Marcel G. A. van der Heijden

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  1. Rita S. L. Veiga
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Correspondence to Rita S. L. Veiga.

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Fig. S1

Relationship between percentage of root length colonized by G. intraradices in wheat and S. media. Plants were grown with or without addition of activated carbon to the soil substrate (AC and NC, respectively). Results are shown as linear regression slopes and 95 % CI (DOCX 218 kb)

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Veiga, R.S.L., Howard, K. & van der Heijden, M.G.A. No evidence for allelopathic effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the non-host plant Stellaria media . Plant Soil 360, 319–331 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-012-1256-x

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