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

Summary

Researchers studied whether a beneficial soil fungus called Exserohilum rostratum could help Rhodes grass survive in salty soils. The fungus could tolerate salt and colonize plant roots, producing helpful enzymes and acids. While the fungus did improve the plant’s ability to maintain balanced nutrient levels and helped under normal conditions, it provided only limited benefits when salt stress became severe, showing that such fungal partnerships work best under specific conditions.

Background

Dark septate endophytes (DSEs) are fungi commonly found in saline environments and have been studied for their potential to enhance plant salt tolerance. Chloris gayana is a forage grass introduced to salt-affected soils in Argentina’s Flooding Pampas region. This study investigated whether the DSE fungus Exserohilum rostratum can mitigate salinity stress in this grass species.

Objective

To evaluate the salt tolerance of Exserohilum rostratum and assess its contribution to Chloris gayana salinity tolerance. The study examined fungal growth, root colonization, enzyme production, plant biomass, chemical composition, and salinity tolerance indices under three salinity levels with and without fungal inoculation.

Results

E. rostratum tolerated salinity, colonized roots, and demonstrated enzyme production and phosphate solubilization capacity. Shoot and root biomass decreased with increasing salinity regardless of inoculation. Inoculation enhanced shoot biomass only under non-saline conditions in the first experiment. Inoculated plants consistently showed higher K/Na and Ca/Na ratios, but these improvements did not fully prevent biomass reduction under severe salinity.

Conclusion

Although E. rostratum tolerates salinity and exhibits functional traits, its ability to enhance plant performance under salt stress is context-dependent and limited. The fungus improved ionic homeostasis through selective nutrient uptake but could not fully counteract the detrimental effects of high salinity, suggesting that DSE benefits are highly dependent on specific environmental and physiological conditions.
  • Published in:Plants (Basel),
  • Study Type:Experimental Greenhouse Study,
  • Source: 10.3390/plants14162537, PMID: 40872160
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