New Benefits of Endophyte- Infected Grasses Emerge

Endophytes can provide enhanced drought tolerance, summer survival, and insect and disease resistance to grasses. Endophytes are fungi belonging to the genus Neotyphodium that live in the leaves and stems of grasses and are carried from plant to plant only through seed. These fungi do not cause any disease in the grasses, but under most circumstances they are beneficial to the growth and survival of infected plants. This association naturally occurs in perennial ryegrass and several species of fescues, but not in Kentucky bluegrass or bentgrass. The fungus obtains all food resources from the grass host, but in return provides several benefits to the plant. Research provides evidence of greater persistence and growth of endophyte-containing grasses, relative to plants that lack endophytes. Endophytes modify how plants acquire and use their available resources and make them more widely adapted to environmental conditions. Endophyte-containing grass cultivars have greater seed survival, germination and establishment than cultivars lacking endophytes. The presence of endophytes confers drought resistance and enhances summer survival of grasses. Endophyte-containing cultivars also perform better in poor-quality acidic soils and soils with low phosphorus content.