Effects of heading date and Epichloë endophyte on persistence of diploid perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne). 2. Endophyte strain and interactions with heading date

Katherine N. Tozer; David E. Hume; Catherine Cameron; Rose Greenfield; Tracy Dale; Wade J. Mace; Tony Craven; Marty J. Faville

doi:10.1071/CP24101

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

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Effects of heading date and Epichloë endophyte on persistence of diploid perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne). 2. Endophyte strain and interactions with heading date

Katherine N. Tozer

^A ^* , David E. Hume ^B , Catherine Cameron ^A , Rose Greenfield ^A , Tracy Dale ^A , Wade J. Mace

^B , Tony Craven ^A and Marty J. Faville ^B

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A AgResearch, Ruakura Research Centre, Private Bag 3123, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand.

^B AgResearch, Grasslands Research Centre, Private Bag 11008, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.

^* Correspondence to: katherine.tozer@agresearch.co.nz

Handling Editor: Brendan Cullen

Crop & Pasture Science 75, CP24101 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP24101

Submitted: 12 April 2024 Accepted: 27 May 2024 Published: 25 June 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Context

Data are lacking on the effects of selected endophytes of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) on ryegrass persistence.

Aim

We aimed to determine the impact of Epichloë endophyte on the persistence of mid- and late-heading perennial ryegrass cultivars.

Method

Two mid-heading (Samson, Bronsyn) and two late-heading (One50, Rohan) cultivars, infected with selected endophytes (AR37, nea2/6) or with standard toxic endophyte, were established in a replicated plot study grazed by cattle in a subtropical environment of the upper North Island of New Zealand. Persistence characteristics were quantified at least five times per annum, over 4 years.

Key results

Endophyte strain had an effect on persistence; infection with standard endophyte resulted in higher ryegrass ground cover percentage, ryegrass content in pasture dry matter and autumn yield than infection with nea2/6 on many occasions, and with AR37 on some occasions. There were negligible impacts on ryegrass tiller density or nutritive value. Trends were dominated by the main effect of endophyte; interactions with heading date were inconsistent.

Conclusions

Cultivars were more persistent when infected with standard endophyte than with selected endophytes, although persistence declined over 4 years for all cultivars and irrespective of heading date.

Implications

Reliance on selected endophyte is unlikely to prevent persistence decline of perennial ryegrass in a subtropical environment. Other strategies will be required to maintain the persistence of high-quality pastures based on perennial ryegrass.

Keywords: alkaloids, flowering date, herbage production, nutritive value, pasture persistence, perennial pastures, resilience, tiller populations.

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