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Fungal endophyte association with Brachiaria grasses and its influence on plant water status, total non-structural carbohydrates and biomass production under drought stress

Plant and Soil volume 409, pages 273–282 (2016)Cite this article

Abstract

Aims

The main aim was to evaluate the effect of endophytic association of Sarocladium implicatum on drought responses of Brachiaria grass cultivars under greenhouse conditions. We tested the hypothesis that endophyte association with Brachiaria improves tolerance to drought stress by maintaining plant water status and increasing dry matter content (DMC), total non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) contents and biomass.

Methods

Five Brachiaria cultivars were grown in a greenhouse for 54 days, with (E+) and without (E-) endophyte under well-watered (WW) and drought-stressed (DS) conditions. Plant water status (measured as relative water content of leaf, RWC), leaf DMC, NSC contents and biomass were determined.

Results

Endophyte association significantly increased leaf RWC but reduced DMC and biomass under DS. Endophyte reduced NSC contents under WW condition in one cultivar and reduced shoot, root and total biomass in another cultivar under DS. Effects of endophyte on response variables depended on cultivar and water regime, with significant interactions of these factors.

Conclusions

Our results support the hypothesis that endophyte association improves plant water status by increasing RWC under DS. However, endophyte-induced reduction in plant attributes like DMC, NSC and biomass presents metabolic costs to host plants which could negatively affect forage quality and yield.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported through a program “Innovative programmatic approach to climate change in support of BecA’s mission: Climate-smart Brachiaria grasses for improving livestock production in East Africa” funded by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) to BecA-ILRI Hub, Kenya. We are grateful to The University of Tasmania for offering a tuition fee scholarship to Kennedy Odokonyero in support for his Higher Degree by Research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Km 17 Recta Cali-Palmira,, A.A 6713, Cali, Colombia

    Kennedy Odokonyero, Juan Andrés Cardoso, Juan de la Cruz Jimenez & Idupulapati Madhusudana Rao

  2. School of Land and Food, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 54 , Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia

    Kennedy Odokonyero & Tina Botwright Acuña

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  1. Kennedy Odokonyero
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  2. Tina Botwright Acuña
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  3. Juan Andrés Cardoso
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  4. Juan de la Cruz Jimenez
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  5. Idupulapati Madhusudana Rao
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Correspondence to Kennedy Odokonyero.

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Odokonyero, K., Acuña, T.B., Cardoso, J.A. et al. Fungal endophyte association with Brachiaria grasses and its influence on plant water status, total non-structural carbohydrates and biomass production under drought stress. Plant Soil 409, 273–282 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-016-2947-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-016-2947-5

Keywords

  • Abiotic stress
  • Acremonium
  • Sarocladium implicatum
  • Symbiotic association
  • Tropical forages

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