Occurrence of Acremonium endophytes in wild populations of Lolium spp. in European countries and a relationship between level of infection and climate in France |
| |
Authors: | G C LEWIS C. RAVEL W. NAFFAA C. ASTIER G. CHARMET |
| |
Affiliation: | Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, North Wyke Research Station, Okehampton, Devon EX20 2SB, UK;Institut National de Recherche Agronomique, Station d'Amelioration des plantes, 63039 Clermont-Ferrand Cedex 02, France |
| |
Abstract: | Infection with endophytic fungi (Acremonium spp.) was detected in wild populations of Lolium spp. from 15 of 20 European countries. Of 523 populations examined, 38% contained no infection, 48% contained 1–50% infection and 14% contained 51–100% infection. Level of infection was slightly but significantly associated with abundance of Lolium in the sward. For data from France, significant correlations were obtained between level of infection and five climate variables; the highest correlations were with evapotranspiration (0.66, P < 0.001) and water supply deficit (-0.66, P < 0.001). A model established using multiple regression analysis and incorporating five climatic variables, accounted for 56% of total variation; water supply deficit alone accounted for 43%. These climatic variables were shown by geostatistical analysis to account for a spatial structure in infection level. Groups of Lolium populations with a high level of infection were located mostly in Mediterranean regions, where stress from summer drought is common. |
| |
Keywords: | Lolium spp Acremonium spp occurrence climate Europe |
|
|