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Root colonization by Piriformospora indica enhances grain yield in barley under diverse nutrient regimes by accelerating plant development

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Abstract

The basidiomycete fungus Piriformospora indica colonizes roots of a broad range of mono- and dicotyledonous plants. It confers enhanced growth, improves resistance against biotic and tolerance to abiotic stress, and enhances grain yield in barley. To analyze mechanisms underlying P. indica-induced improved grain yield in a crop plant, the influence of different soil nutrient levels and enhanced biotic stress were tested under outdoor conditions. Higher grain yield was induced by the fungus independent of different phosphate and nitrogen fertilization levels. In plants challenged with the root rot-causing fungus Fusarium graminearum, P. indica was able to induce a similar magnitude of yield increase as in unchallenged plants. In contrast to the arbuscular mycorrhiza fungus Glomus mosseae, total phosphate contents of host plant roots and shoots were not significantly affected by P. indica. On the other hand, barley plants colonised with the endophyte developed faster, and were characterized by a higher photosynthetic activity at low light intensities. Together with the increased root formation early in development these factors contribute to faster development of ears as well as the production of more tillers per plant. The results indicate that the positive effect of P. indica on grain yield is due to accelerated growth of barley plants early in development, while improved phosphate supply—a central mechanism of host plant fortification by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi—was not observed in the P. indica-barley symbiosis.

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Acknowledgements

We thank D. Biedenkopf and C. Neumann for excellent technical assistance, S. Deshmukh, M. Sharma and H. Baltruschat for providing unpublished HvPht1;8 expression results and two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments. We are grateful for support with photosynthesis measurements by H.-W. Koyro and for support by M. Kolmer at the experimental station Rauischholzhausen. DA was supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). This work was supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) grant FOR666 to KHK and FW.

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  1. Frank Waller

    Present address: Julius-von-Sachs Institute, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97082, Würzburg, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Phytopathology and Applied Zoology, Research Center for BioSystems, Land Use and Nutrition, Justus Liebig University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392, Giessen, Germany

    Beate Achatz, Sibylle von Rüden, Karl-Heinz Kogel & Frank Waller

  2. Department for Plant Nutrition, Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops, Theodor-Echtermeyer-Weg 1, 14979, Grossbeeren, Germany

    Diana Andrade, Elke Neumann & Philipp Franken

  3. Institute of Biometry and Population Genetics, Research Center for BioSystems, Land Use and Nutrition, Justus Liebig University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392, Giessen, Germany

    Jörn Pons-Kühnemann

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Correspondence to Frank Waller.

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Achatz, B., von Rüden, S., Andrade, D. et al. Root colonization by Piriformospora indica enhances grain yield in barley under diverse nutrient regimes by accelerating plant development. Plant Soil 333, 59–70 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-010-0319-0

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