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ALLELOPATHY SYMPOSIUM

Rust-Enhanced Allelopathy of Perennial Ryegrass against White Clover

^a Agriculture Victoria, Institute for Horticultural Development, Private Bag 15, Scoresby Business Centre, Victoria 3176, Australia
^b Institute of Land & Food Resources, The Univ. of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia

Corresponding author (scott.mattner{at}nre.vic.gov.au)

Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.) are important pasture components in the higher rainfall areas of southeastern Australia. Crown rust (Puccinia coronata Corda f.sp. lolii Brown) is the most serious ryegrass pathogen in these areas. In a preliminary investigation, rust reduced ryegrass biomass by 56%. Yet, interference from rusted ryegrass suppressed the yield of neighboring clover plants more than interference from healthy ryegrass. The role of allelopathy in this relationship was investigated in a greenhouse study using two bioassays. Soil previously growing rusted ryegrass suppressed clover biomass by 36% compared with soil previously growing healthy ryegrass. Similarly, leachate from soil surrounding rusted ryegrass suppressed clover biomass by 27% compared with that from healthy ryegrass. This is the first demonstration that a pathogen may influence allelopathy between plants and that rust may enhance ryegrass allelopathy against clover. Possible implications of this in pasture ecology and the evolution of mutualism are discussed.