Evaluation of foliar fungus-mediated interactions with below and aboveground enemies of the invasive plant Ageratina adenophora.

ABSTRACT: Plant-fungal associations are frequently key drivers of plant invasion success. Foliar fungi can benefit their invasive hosts by enhancing growth promotion, disease resistance and environmental stress tolerance. However, the roles of foliar fungi may vary when a given invasive plant faces different stresses. In this study, we designed three independent experiments to evaluate the effects of a foliar fungus, Colletotrichum sp., on the growth performance of the invasive plant Ageratina adenophora under different soil conditions, as well as the responses of A. adenophora to the foliar fungal pathogen Diaporthe helianthi and to herbivory. We found that the soil type was the most influential factor for the growth of A. adenophora. The role of the foliar fungus

SUBMITTER: Fang K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7790651 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature