Hw. Elbersen et Cp. West, GROWTH AND WATER RELATIONS OF FIELD-GROWN TALL FESCUE AS INFLUENCED BY DROUGHT AND ENDOPHYTE, Grass and forage science, 51(4), 1996, pp. 333-342
Field plots were established in autumn 1992 in which endophyte [Neotyp
hodium coenophialum Glenn, Bacon, Price and Hanlin (formerly Acremoniu
m coenophialum)]-infected (EC) and endophyte-free (E(-)) isolines of t
hree tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) genotypes were planted.
Plants were subjected to three water-withholding periods in 1993 and
one in 1994, or were kept well watered throughout the experiment. Ther
e were no consistent endophyte effects for leaf elongation, tiller den
sity or dry weight per tiller. There were genotype X endophyte interac
tions (P<0.01) for tiller density and shoot dry weight per area and ge
notype X water X endophyte interactions (P<0.05) for cumulative leaf e
longation in 1993. These interactions indicated the highly specific ef
fect of host genotype-endophyte association on the expression of plant
growth. Leaf rolling in the stressed treatments was more severe in E(
-) than in E(+) plants in 1993, but there were no differences in 1994,
and stomatal conductance tended to be lower in E(-) than in Ef plants
in 1993. Fractional water content of the lower 3 cm of the youngest f
ully developed leaf sheath was usually greater, and never less, in E() than in E(-) plants. The leaf rolling and stomatal conductance resul
ts suggest that E(-) plants were more severely stressed in the summer
after planting. Thus, the endophyte may induce greater water retention
in the leaf sheath and therefore better protect the internal growing
zone from lethal desiccation.