ena-STUDY-CIEFAP-24-05-2021-21:50:17:183-387
Rhizospheric community of Penicillium spp. in roots of Austrocedrus chilensis plays a key role in plant protection against Phytophthora austrocedri disease in Patagonian native forests
Purpose:  To describe rhizospheric Penicillium diversity associated with A. chilensis and evaluate if the community composition could be involved in the protection of healthy seedlings in sites with high incidence of ARD (Austrocedrus root disease). Methods: Samples were taken from sites with high  prevalence of ARD, and without plants showing ARD symptoms. Isolations were made in PDAc and Rose Bengal Agar (RBA). Isolates were phenotypically and molecularly identified. Penicillium species agrupation regarding different sites and conditions were compared by multivariate analyses. Finally, the ability of Penicillium isolates to parasitize or degrade P. austrocedri mycelium was evaluated using co-cultures. Results: Richness and abundance was significantly higher in sites with ARD than in healthy sites.  Penicillium glabrum, P. swiecickii, P. palitans, P. arizonense, P. bialowiezense, P. fuscum, P. amestolkiae and P. lanosum, were isolated from all sites regardless of the health condition. Other species were exclusively isolated in sites with ARD. Penicillium glabrum sp21, P. crustosum, P. palitans and P. amestolkiae were the isolates with the higher inhibitory effect against Phytophthora.Conclusion: Our results represent an important advance towards the design of a biocontrol strategy, since they highlight the role of the Penicillium community composition in the preservation of the  health status of A. chilensis. It was shown  that dominant species of Penicillium have a high biocontrol activity  suggesting that these species play a key role in the protection of A. chilensis. Moreover, the inoculation of Penicillium species in soil could be a useful tool to control ARD in native forests.
Purpose:  To describe rhizospheric Penicillium diversity associated with A. chilensis and evaluate if the community composition could be involved in the protection of healthy seedlings in sites with high incidence of ARD (Austrocedrus root disease). Methods: Samples were taken from sites with high  prevalence of ARD, and without plants showing ARD symptoms. Isolations were made in PDAc and Rose Bengal Agar (RBA). Isolates were phenotypically and molecularly identified. Penicillium species agrupation regarding different sites and conditions were compared by multivariate analyses. Finally, the ability of Penicillium isolates to parasitize or degrade P. austrocedri mycelium was evaluated using co-cultures. Results: Richness and abundance was significantly higher in sites with ARD than in healthy sites.  Penicillium glabrum, P. swiecickii, P. palitans, P. arizonense, P. bialowiezense, P. fuscum, P. amestolkiae and P. lanosum, were isolated from all sites regardless of the health condition. Other species were exclusively isolated in sites with ARD. Penicillium glabrum sp21, P. crustosum, P. palitans and P. amestolkiae were the isolates with the higher inhibitory effect against Phytophthora.Conclusion: Our results represent an important advance towards the design of a biocontrol strategy, since they highlight the role of the Penicillium community composition in the preservation of the  health status of A. chilensis. It was shown  that dominant species of Penicillium have a high biocontrol activity  suggesting that these species play a key role in the protection of A. chilensis. Moreover, the inoculation of Penicillium species in soil could be a useful tool to control ARD in native forests.