Background: The phenomenon of plant mutualistic symbiosis with microbes may have a positive effect on the improvement of plant tolerance to environmental stresses. The in uence of fungal endophyte of the Epichloë sp. (Clavicipitaceae) on perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) plants grown in presence of elevated concentration of heavy metal (HM) ions (Cd 2+ , Pb 2+ and Cu 2+) in soil was studied. Results: The presence of Epichloë in the host grass tissues resulted in increased accumulation of HM ions in aerial parts of plants and was dependent on host genotypes related to host plant origin. In plants with (E+) and without (E-) endophytes the hormesis effect was induced by the elevated concentration of Cu 2+ ions, resulting in better growth and photosynthesis, as examined by measurements of Chl a uorescence. The obtained results indicate that based on the laboratory evaluation of the e ciency of the symbiosis, we were able to choose the best associations of perennial ryegrass with endophytes for HM phytoremediation. Conclusions: The presence of Epichloë endophytes positively affected ryegrass ability to accumulate HM ions and this accumulation was associated with the origin of Epichloë-ryegrass symbionts.
From 2008 to 2010 the levels of sugar beet seedlings infection caused by Rhizoctonia solani were compared in laboratory tests.Seven sugar beet lines were tested: H56, H66, S2, S3, S4, S5 and S6 as well as three control cultivars: Carlos, Esperanza and Janosik.Sugar beet lines with tolerance to rhizoctoniosis and cultivars without tolerance were infected artificially by R. solani isolates: R1, R28a and R28b. These isolates belong to the second anastomosis group (AG), which is usually highly pathogenic to beet roots. The aim of the experiment was to test whether the tolerance of sugar beet genotypes to R. solani AG 2 prevents both root rot, and damping-off of seedlings, induced by the pathogen. Sugar beet lines tolerant to brown root rot in laboratory tests were significantly less sensitive to infection of the seedlings by R. solani AG 2 isolates in comparison to control cultivars. Rhizoctonia solani AG 2 isolates demonstrated considerable differences in pathogenicity against seedlings of sugar beet lines and cultivars. The strongest infection of sugar beet seedlings occurred with the isolate R28b. The greatest tolerance to infection by AG 2 isolates was found for the S5 and S3 breeding lines.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.