Monday, 7 November 2005
6

Increased Germination of Astragalus Utahensis with Aspergillus and Alternaria Fungi.

Sean Eldredge1, Brad Geary1, Scott Jensen2, and John Gardner1. (1) Brigham Young University, Brigham Young University, Plant And Animal Sci. 269 Widb, Provo, UT 84602, (2) Shrub Sciences Laboratory, 735 N. 500 E., Provo, UT 84606

The quick germination and establishment of some invasive plant species frequently hamper revegetation of burned areas by native species. Use of a natural promoter to accelerate germination of native plants would augment their competitive abilities, against invasive species, allowing quicker growth and establishment in the post-fire ecosystem. The purposes of the studies undertaken were: 1) to delineate a germ response relationship manifest when seeds of Astragalus utahensis, a native Utah plant potentially useful in revegetation projects, are inoculated with two separate fungi isolated from A. utahensis seeds, and 2) to define the nature of this interaction by tracking the triggering mechanisms (chemical or physical) and their origins (fungal or seed). Fungi from the genus Alternaria and Aspergillus were cultured on artificial media and used to inoculate A. utahensis seeds after scarification in sulfuric acid. Germination, counted as radical emergence, was monitored in a sterile, wet environment and recorded. Both fungi accelerated germination percentages by at least 10% over the control seed. The majority of Aspergillus treatments accelerated germination by at least 19% and Alternaria by at least 60%. Preliminary light microscopy points to fungal penetration as the triggering mechanism for accelerated germination. Pilot tests show that there is no chemical trigger involved.

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