Grass endophytes

Abstract

The present invention relates to a combination of a Neotyphodium species endophyte or endophyte culture in a symbiotic association with a host grass which association does not cause symptoms of toxicosis in animals through exclusion of ergovaline but, due to the inclusion of alkaloids including agroclavine, setoclavine or isosetoclavine, retains the ability to resist abiotic stresses and protect the grass from pests.

Description

[0001]This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 10 / 529,375, which is a National Stage of International Application No. PCT / NZ2003 / 000219, filed Sep. 26, 2003, all of which is incorporated herein by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]This invention relates to fungal endophytes and combinations of endophytes with grass plants. More particularly the invention relates to endophytes which form combinations with tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) and some other related grasses. Even more particularly the invention relates to combinations having reduced toxicity to grazing livestock as compared to cultivars of endophyte / tall fescue combinations in common use.BACKGROUND ART[0003]Fungal endophytes of the genus Neotyphodium (formerly Acremonium) infect a number of temperate climate Pooideae grasses. The Neotyphodium endophytes can produce alkaloids which are considered to confer degrees of pest and possibly disease protection upon the plants in which they naturally occur (Rowan and ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides an endophyte of Neotyphodium coenophialum species that does not cause toxicosis in animals and retains sufficient levels of alkaloids to protect the host grass from pests or abiotic stresses. The endophyte can be combined with a host grass and retains the ability to protect the host from pests or abiotic stresses. The combination of endophyte and host grass can also enhance resistance to pests and increase animal productivity. The endophyte or endophyte culture can be deposited on the host grass and can be modified by breeding, crossing, hybridization, genetic modification, or combinations thereof. The combination of endophyte and host grass can also produce isosetoclavine and setoclavine at a rate of greater than 0.5 ppm each of dry matter in the host grass plant crowns and less than 0.2 ppm of dry matter of ergovaline in whole herbage.

Problems solved by technology

Many of the predominating natural endophyte infections of improved grass cultivars used for pastoral agriculture production also cause significant animal disorders, for example tall fescue toxicoses (Stuedemann and Hoveland, 1988) and ryegrass staggers (Fletcher et al., 1999).

These may be complex toxic reactions by animals to alkaloids produced under a range of plant growth conditions.

Significant economic loss within pastoral agriculture systems can occur due to such animal toxicoses.

Ergovaline is considered to be the primary cause of fescue toxicity.

Some Neotyphodium endophytes, notably those of evolutionary derivation from strains of Epichloë festucae such as N. lolii, produce potent tremorgens which are toxic to grazing animals.