1 research outputs found
Effects of choke disease 1 e in the grass Brachypodium phoenicoides.
Epichloë species (Clavicipitaceae, Ascomycota) are the causal agents of choke disease of
grasses. This disease is characterized by the presence of cylindrical fungal stromata which
wrap the immature inflorescences and inhibit the normal development of reproductive tillers.
Using phenotypic and molecular characters, as well as mating compatibility tests, the fungus
causing choke disease in Brachypodium phoenicoides (Poaceae) was identified as Epichloë
typhina. A three year field experiment conducted with infected and uninfected plants of a
single clone of B. phoenicoides showed no significant differences in biomass production
during their vegetative growth stage, but the content of Ca, Mg, and Mn was greater, and that
of Na was lower in infected plants compared to uninfected plants. Infected plants produced up
to twice as many reproductive tillers than healthy plants, but their reproductive tissue biomass
was smaller than that of healthy plants, because tiller development was arrested by choke
forming stromata.This work was financed by project AGL2005-02839, granted by the Spanish Ministry of
Science and Education.Peer reviewe