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Can the DSE Fungus Exserohilum rostratum Mitigate the Effect of Salinity on the Grass Chloris gayana?

Summary

Researchers tested whether a fungus called Exserohilum rostratum could help Rhodes grass tolerate salty soils. While the fungus survived well in salty conditions and colonized plant roots, it only moderately improved plant growth under high salt levels. The fungus did help plants maintain better potassium and calcium balance compared to non-inoculated plants, but this wasn’t always enough to overcome severe salt stress.

Background

Dark septate endophytes (DSEs) are fungi commonly found in saline environments and have been reported to enhance plant salinity tolerance. Chloris gayana is a forage grass introduced to salt-affected soils in the Flooding Pampas of Argentina. This study investigates whether the DSE fungus Exserohilum rostratum isolated from C. gayana can mitigate salinity stress on its host plant.

Objective

To evaluate the salt tolerance of Exserohilum rostratum and assess its contribution to Chloris gayana salinity tolerance through greenhouse experiments at three salinity levels (0, 40, and 80 meq Na·L⁻¹) with and without fungal inoculation.

Results

E. rostratum tolerated salinity and colonized roots with evidence of enzyme production and phosphate solubilization. Inoculation enhanced shoot biomass under non-saline conditions but showed limited benefits under moderate to severe salinity. In the second experiment, moderate salinity increased root biomass in inoculated plants. K/Na and Ca/Na ratios remained higher in inoculated plants across salinity levels.

Conclusion

Although E. rostratum tolerates salinity and expresses functional traits, its ability to enhance plant performance under salt stress is context-dependent and restricted to specific conditions, with limited protective effects under severe salinity.
  • Published in:Plants (Basel),
  • Study Type:Experimental Study,
  • Source: 10.3390/plants14162537, PMID: 40872160
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