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Effects of Epichloë endophyte infection on growth, physiological properties and seed germination of wild barley under saline conditions
Author(s) -
Wang Zhengfeng,
Li Chunjie,
White James
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of agronomy and crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.095
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1439-037X
pISSN - 0931-2250
DOI - 10.1111/jac.12366
Subject(s) - endophyte , germination , biology , hordeum vulgare , agronomy , poaceae , symbiosis , botany , leymus , chlorophyll , grassland , bacteria , genetics
Wild barley ( Hordeum brevisubulatum ) is a grass that inhabits alkalized meadows in northern China. An asexual Epichloë bromicola endophyte was detected in seeds and leaf sheaths in all wild barley samples from Gansu Province, China. In this research, we determined the effects of the E. bromicola endophyte on growth, physiological properties and seed germination of wild barley under salt stress through a set of experiments. Our results demonstrate that endophyte‐infected (E+) plants produced more tillers, higher biomass and yield, higher chlorophyll content and superoxide dismutase activity than endophyte‐free (E−) plants under high salt stress. Seed germination parameters of E+ biotype were significantly higher than those of E− plants when NaCl concentration reached 200 and 300 mM. Our results demonstrate that E. bromicola endophytes increased tolerance to salt stress in wild barley by increasing seed germination and growth, and altering plant physiology.