Symbiotic endophytic fungi as biocontrol agents for ornamental lawns
2003
Mohammadi, Reza, Department of Agronomy and Plant breeding, Isfahan University of Technology | Mirlohi, Agha Fakhr, Department of Agronomy and Plant breeding, Isfahan University of Technology | Sabzalian, Mohammad Reza, Department of Agronomy and Plant breeding, Isfahan University of Technology
Endophytic fungi from genus Neotyphodium make symbiotic association with many cool-season grasses. More than 100 species from 80 genera of grass family have been found to be endophyte host including ornamental lawns such as Lolium, Festuca, Poa and Agrostis. Endophytic fungi alter vegetative, morphological and physiological characters of host plants, improve growth and increase their stability. Increase resistance to pests, nematods and some plant diseases are well documented. Resistance to more than 40 species of insects as a result of this association has been already proven. Pyrrolozidine alkaloids induding N-acetyl loline, N-formyl loline, pyrrolopirazine, ergopeptins, and peramine are produced in infected plants and inhibit insects from feeding on them. Endopytic fungi also confer tolerance against environmental stresses to host plants affecting insect resistance indirectly. In this study, effect of endophyte on a mealy bug (Rhizoecus sp.) feeding on underground parts of plant and an aphid (Sipha maydis) feeding on aerial parts, it was shown that infected plants were less attacked by these insects than endophyte free plants. Results of this expriment showed that endophyte can act as a potent biocontrol factor for pest resistance. Thus, use of infected lawns, provide a biological system that prohibite prevailance and spread of different pests. Overally, endophytic fungi have high efficiency for lawn management in an integrated pest management (IPM) strategy and may decrease costs of maitenance and management.
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