Abstract
Nassella trichotoma (serrated tussock) and Nassella neesiana (Chilean needle-grass) are the two most widespread and damaging species of stipoid grasses that have been introduced into Australia. A project was set up in 1999 in Argentina to investigate the potential of pathogens as biological control agents for these species. A Corticiaceae fungus found at a few sites, growing in association with N. trichotoma plants severely affected by root and crown necrosis, could not be studied in detail because all attempts to isolate it in pure culture failed. Infection of inflorescences of N. trichotoma, Nassella tenuis and Nassella tenuissima was achieved in the glasshouse with the smut Ustilago sp. (within U. hypodytes sensu lato), seen causing drastic reduction in seed production on both target plant species in the field. However, technical difficulties regularly encountered during experimental work compromise the prospect of further studies on this pathogen. The bulk of the investigations concentrated on the rust Puccinia nassellae which infects both target plants and, on the basis of field data, showed the greatest potential for biological control. Rust isolates from N. trichotoma were previously found to infect a wide range of N. trichotoma accessions and a non-target native Australian species. Host-specificity tests conducted in this study showed that rust isolates from N. neesiana were able to develop mature uredinia on N. neesiana plants grown from seed collected in Australia, but none of the tested isolates infected the Australian native species A. aristiglumis and A. scabra. Further testing is still required to clarify the nature of this rust’s life cycle and to investigate differences in specificity between isolates from both host species.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
A Corticiaceae fungus was associated with severely necrotic N. trichotoma roots and crowns.
- Taxon
- N. trichotoma
.jpg?width=60)
Nassella trichotomae0 - Interactor
- Corticiaceae funguse0pathogen
- Outcome
- root and crown necrosise0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“A Corticiaceae fungus found at a few sites, growing in association with N. trichotoma plants severely affected by root and crown necrosis”
Claim · model-written summary
Ustilago sp. infected N. trichotoma inflorescences in the glasshouse.
- Taxon
- N. trichotomaNassella trichotomae0
- Organ / stage
- inflorescencese0
- Outcome
- Infection of inflorescencese0
- Setting
- glasshousee0
UstilagoOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Infection of inflorescences of N. trichotoma, Nassella tenuis and Nassella tenuissima was achieved in the glasshouse with the smut Ustilago sp.”
Claim · model-written summary
Ustilago sp. infected Nassella tenuis inflorescences in the glasshouse.
- Taxon
- Nassella tenuisNassella tenuise0
- Organ / stage
- inflorescencese0
- Outcome
- Infection of inflorescencese0
- Setting
- glasshousee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Infection of inflorescences of N. trichotoma, Nassella tenuis and Nassella tenuissima was achieved in the glasshouse with the smut Ustilago sp.”
Claim · model-written summary
Ustilago sp. infected Nassella tenuissima inflorescences in the glasshouse.
- Taxon
- Nassella tenuissima
Nassella tenuissimae0 - Organ / stage
- inflorescencese0
- Outcome
- Infection of inflorescencese0
- Setting
- glasshousee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Infection of inflorescences of N. trichotoma, Nassella tenuis and Nassella tenuissima was achieved in the glasshouse with the smut Ustilago sp.”
Claim · model-written summary
Ustilago sp. drastically reduced seed production in target Nassella species in the field.
- Taxon
- Nassella trichotomaNassella trichotomat0
- Outcome
- seed productione0
- Direction
- drastic reductione0
- Setting
- fielde0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Ustilago sp. (within U. hypodytes sensu lato), seen causing drastic reduction in seed production on both target plant species in the field”
t0“Nassella trichotoma (serrated tussock)”
Claim · model-written summary
Puccinia nassellae infected both target Nassella plants.
- Taxon
- Nassella trichotomaNassella trichotomat0
- Interactor
- Puccinia nassellaee0pathogen
- Outcome
- infects both target plantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Puccinia nassellae which infects both target plants”
t0“Nassella trichotoma (serrated tussock)”
Claim · model-written summary
Rust isolates from N. neesiana developed mature uredinia on Australian seed derived N. neesiana plants.
- Taxon
- N. neesiana
Nassella neesianae0 - Interactor
- rust isolatese0pathogen
- Outcome
- develop mature urediniae0
- Setting
- Australiae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“rust isolates from N. neesiana were able to develop mature uredinia on N. neesiana plants grown from seed collected in Australia”
Claim · model-written summary
Rust isolates from N. neesiana did not infect native A. aristiglumis.
Verbatim
e0“none of the tested isolates infected the Australian native species A. aristiglumis and A. scabra”
Claim · model-written summary
Rust isolates from N. neesiana did not infect native A. scabra.
Verbatim
e0“none of the tested isolates infected the Australian native species A. aristiglumis and A. scabra”