Premium
Endophyte Viability in Seedling Tall Fescue Treated with Fungicides
Author(s) -
Hill N. S.,
Brown E.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci2000.4051490x
Subject(s) - propiconazole , seedling , endophyte , biology , fungicide , festuca arundinacea , neotyphodium , germination , agronomy , horticulture , poaceae , botany , lolium perenne
Commercial tall fescue ( Festuca arundinacea Shreb.) cultivars containing non‐toxic endophytes ( Neotyphodium coenophialum Glenn, Bacon, Hanlin) are available. Hence, seed testing objectives have changed to examining seed for viable endophyte. Seedling diseases occur during testing and this study compared effects of fungicides on endophyte infection of seedling plants. Endophyte‐infected ‘Jesup’ tall fescue seed were planted into cell packs and grown in the greenhouse. Chloroneb (1,4‐dichloro‐2,5‐dimethoxybenzene), terrazole (5‐ethoxy‐3‐(trichoromethyl)‐1,2,4‐thiadiazole), and propiconazole (1‐[[2‐(2,4‐dichlorophenyl)‐4‐propyl‐1,3‐dioxan‐2yl]methyl]‐1 H ‐1,2,4‐triazole) were applied weekly to plants beginning 7 d until 21 d post germination. In a second experiment, seedling plants received applications of Propiconazole at d 7, 14, 21 and all possible combinations. Seedling endophyte infection rates were higher when terrazole or chloroneb (83.1 and 78.1%, respectively) were applied compared with no fungicide (73.5%) or propiconazole (5.0%). Endophyte mortality was reduced but not eliminated when propiconazole application to seedling plants was delayed. Contact fungicides should be used to control seedling diseases when evaluating endophyte viability.