Productivity of prairie grass (<i>Bromus willdenowii</i> Kunth) affected by sowing date and the head smut fungus (<i>Ustilago bullata</i> Berk.)

Falloon, R. E.; Rolston, M. P.

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2494.1990.tb01960.x

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Endophyte-infected subplots produced more biomass than E-ones inoculated with the smut, and smut inoculated E-subplots produced less biomass than the S-controls. Negative effects of U. bullata on biomass production were also observedin field studies with B. catharticus (Falloon 1976(Falloon , 1979Falloon and Hume 1988;Falloon and Rolston 1990). In our experiment, the higher amount of biomass produced during the first year by plants in E+ or E-S-treatments was due to the higher soil cover and not to the size of the plants, since the ratio between biomass production and soil cover in E+ subplots was not significantly higher than in the E-subplots (Fig.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

“…catharticus in New Zealand. In this species, under field conditions, the inoculation with U. bullata significantly reduced seedling establishment (Falloon and Rolston 1990), biomass production (Falloon 1976(Falloon , 1979Falloon and Hume 1988;Falloon and Rolston 1990) and infected plants presented poorer persistence (Falloon and Hume 1988) than non-infected plants. In greenhouse experiments, the pathogen reduced seedling emergence rate and survival (Falloon 1976), reduced the overall size of infected plants and caused their complete sterility (García-Guzmán et al 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 84%

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Seed-transmitted Epichloë sp. endophyte alleviates the negative effects of head smut of grasses (Ustilago bullata) on Bromus auleticus

et al. 2017

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Seed-transmitted Epichloë sp. endophyte alleviates the negative effects of head smut of grasses (Ustilago bullata) on Bromus auleticus

et al. 2017

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“…Uninfected plants compensated for the low productivity and death of infected plants by producing more tillers. In subsequent studies, Falloon and Rolston (1990) found that autumn establishment of Matua was improved when Matua seeds were treated with a fungicide, whereas spring establishment of Matua was not improved; however, the beneficial effects of fall seed treatment lasted only 18 wk.…”

Section: The Effects Of Head Smut (Caused By Ustilago Bullatamentioning

confidence: 99%

Fall Management Effects on ‘Grasslands Matua’ Prairie Grass Production and Sward Characteristics

1994

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Ruminant animal production costs in the northeastern USA can be lowered by extending the fall grazing season. Two field experiments were initiated with prairie grass [Bromus unioloides (Willd.) H.B.K. cv. Grasslands Matua; syn. B. willdenowii Kunth] to determine effects of fall management (i.e., clipping) on forage production and winter survival. Plantings were made in May 1986 for Exp. 1 and June 1990 for Exp. 2. Experiment 1 addressed date of fall harvest and residual stubble height effects on fall yields and tiller density, winter survival, and spring yields and tiller density. Experiment 2 addressed the interaction of harvest frequency and residual stubble height on the same parameters as for Exp. 1. Fall yields of Matua peaked at 4.0 Mg ha−1 in late October to early November (Exp. 1 and 2). Mean fall yields were reduced 20, 40, and 60% as residual stubble height was increased from 7.5 cm to 12.5, 20.0, or 25.0 cm, respectively (Exp. 1). Spring yields were high from plots clipped to a 7.5‐cm stubble in September and decreased as fall harvest was delayed to November (Exp. 1). Spring yields from plots clipped to a 7.5‐cm stubble in late November were only 20 to 25% of yields from plots clipped in September. Leaving a higher residual stubble in fall compensated considerably for the deleterious effect of harvesting in late fall. Clipping to a 20.0‐, 12.5‐ or 7.5‐cm stubble in fall resulted in linear decreases in spring yields as fall harvest was delayed from September to November, and clipping to 25.0 cm gave a quadratic response, with a peak at mid‐October. Matua plots that were harvested once in late fall or not at all (check) recovered very slowly in spring and had a lower yield potential than plots that had been harvested two, three, or four times in fall. To optimize production of Matua in fall and spring it is recommended that one summer rest period be extended to allow natural reseeding and that two or three fall harvests or grazings be taken to increase stand density and winter survival.

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“…When reproductive structures are affected, the infected grass host can display both fungal fruiting bodies and seed‐bearing inflorescences or entirely aborted inflorescences in which all flowers are replaced by fungal fruiting bodies, that is, sori bearing teliospores (Piepenbring et al, 1998; Xia et al, 2020). Therefore, smut fungi have the potential to substantially influence the seed output and successful reproduction of grasses (Falloon and Rolston, 1990). Moreover, because the relationship between pathogenic fungi and their hosts can be influenced by environmental conditions (e.g., Finch, 2010; Meena et al, 2011; Simler‐Williamson et al, 2021), human environmental management activities can affect pathogen infection and colonization.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Smut fungus (Langdonia walkerae) incidence is lower in two bunchgrass species (Aristida stricta and A. beyrichiana) after fires early in the year

Fill,

Meadows,

Walker

et al. 2024

American J of Botany

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PremiseIn frequently burned southeastern USA pine‐grassland communities, wiregrass (Aristida stricta and A. beyrichiana) are dominant bunchgrasses whose flowers are infected during flowering by a smut fungus (Langdonia walkerae). We hypothesized that because prescribed fire timing affects wiregrass flowering patterns, it could affect smut incidence (occurrence of smut on plants) and severity of infection in inflorescences and spikelets. Because soil order could influence plant susceptibility, we hypothesized that these patterns would differ between soil orders. We hypothesized differences between species as representative of geographic variation in this ecosystem.MethodsWe surveyed the incidence and severity of L. walkerae in wiregrass populations (85 populations at 14 sites) that had been prescription burned at different times during the previous year. We used binomial regressions to test whether incidence and severity differed by burn day, soil order, or species, with site as a random effect.ResultsFires that occurred in the winter were associated with significantly lower incidence than fires later in the year (as the months progressed into summer). Plants growing on Spodosol soils were significantly less likely to be infected than those on other soils. More variation in incidence, however, was explained by site, suggesting that site‐specific characteristics were important. Smut severity in inflorescences and spikelets was greater overall in populations of A. stricta than in southern populations (A. beyrichiana).ConclusionsOur findings indicate that fire timing and soil order affect L. walkerae incidence in wiregrass plants, but neither appears to be associated with greater severity. Patterns of smut infection are related to site history and geographic variation.

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Productivity of prairie grass (Bromus willdenowii Kunth) affected by sowing date and the head smut fungus (Ustilago bullata Berk.)

Cited by 8 publications

References 12 publications

Seed-transmitted Epichloë sp. endophyte alleviates the negative effects of head smut of grasses (Ustilago bullata) on Bromus auleticus

Seed-transmitted Epichloë sp. endophyte alleviates the negative effects of head smut of grasses (Ustilago bullata) on Bromus auleticus

Fall Management Effects on ‘Grasslands Matua’ Prairie Grass Production and Sward Characteristics

Smut fungus (Langdonia walkerae) incidence is lower in two bunchgrass species (Aristida stricta and A. beyrichiana) after fires early in the year

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