Adrian Posted January 18, 2002 If I were to assume I had grown Stipa robusta and it were lacking Acremonium fungus, what would be the best approach to renewing the symbiotic relationship. Would transplanting soil from the roots of an infected plant be sufficient to transmit thie fungi? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torsten Posted January 18, 2002 ask reville, he probably knows. maybe growing it in proximity of an infected strain would help. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vanda Posted January 18, 2002 Native terrestial orchids live in a very close relationship with many fungi. every time I'm repotting any of them I have to include a good handful of the potting mixture from the old pot(in order to re-establish the mycorrhizal relationship. What you're proposing makes a lot of sense if you asked me... Cheers Vanda Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest reville Posted January 18, 2002 Tricky. The Acremonium species are endophytic fungi. Endophytic fungus. A fungus that lives its life cycle within a host plant without causing disease http://ohld.ag.utk.edu/pss/fescue/glossary.html They live inside the plant tissues and are fundamentally different to mycorhizzal interactions. the whole issue of 'acremonium' as a valid genus has been questioned . see http://www.nal.usda.gov/ttic/tektran/data/...0000066871.html This Particular association between Stipa robusta and its fungal sp is perpetuated by seedborne transmission The fungus lives in the plant and when the grass flowers it moves up through the inflorescence and into the seed where it is then dispersed along with the seed. Stipa plants lacking this association can be spontaneous through failure of the fungus to infect the seed or caused by loss of viabilit of the fungus in old seed (room temp for short but so far undtermined time) or as anecdotal evidence suggests by subjecting the seed to freezing or fungicides. In answer to your Q - Although i dont really know, my best guess is that simple plant to plant contact wont work. http://www.ncagr.com/plantind/seed/endo.htm Once a plant develops it is most likely either going to be E- or E+ for the rest of its life.In areas where grazing and other pressures selectively removes E- plants this is how the population appears to remain infected.see http://www.hortnet.co.nz/publications/nzpp...s/94/94_227.htm This is how it works with tall fescue anyhow and the similarities between that acremonium symbiosis and this one are many. Heres my theory on how you might do it Acremonium can be cultured in vitro on simple media. It is slow growing ( the fescue associated sp.) but you could make a spore syringe and a) inject it into the culm and young leaf blades I havent read this one but work with tall fescue has used this principle read http://www.rsnz.govt.nz/publish/nzjar/1998/62.php (so on potato water and sugar agar with some anitbiotic) or b)use it to innoculate seeds that have just sprouted. apparently the fungus germinates just after the plant and then infects it. id use vermiculite and perlite, infect jus after the sed shoot appears and leave them time to infect - 1 week+ then prick out. Testing is fairly simple - you clear with KOH and then stain with a dye specific to fungal cell walls http://www.uoguelph.ca/GTI/92anrep/92r23.htm want more info? http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~white/publications.html [This message has been edited by reville (edited 18 January 2002).] Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest reville Posted January 18, 2002 More on stipa in particular http://www.nal.usda.gov/ttic/tektran/data/...0000076166.html http://uvalde.tamu.edu/jrm/jul00/jones.htm http://dallas.tamu.edu/wheat/endo1.pdf Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theobromos Posted January 24, 2002 You are going to want the same strain as the original Stipa strains. Not all Acremonium is the same chemically. Is this not one of the types that produces spores with the flowering of the plant? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
