YAN Ning, XUE Hui-Min, SHI Lin-Yu, FAN Jing, XU Xiao-Feng, WANG Zhi-Dan, GUO De-Ping
. 2013, 1(16): 35.
The swollen culm of Zizania latifolia induced by a smut fungus Ustilago esculenta is used
as a vegetable in China.During the cultivation of Z. latifolia-U. esculenta associations,some of them
escape from the infection of U. esculenta(as control plant),some may produce swollen culms containing
mature,pigmented teliospores when infected by sporidial(T)strains of the fungus,and some produce
the normal swollen culms when infected by mycelia-sporidial(M-T)strains.In this study,Z. latifolia
(cv.‘ Zhejiao No.2’,a double-harvest variety)plants infected with U. esculenta mycelia-sporidia(l M-T)
and T strains,were used to measure plant height,leaf number,tiller number,aboveground biomass(leaf,
sheath,culm)and morphological parameters.The effects of environmental factors(fungicide,water
and irradiation)on growth of plants infected by U. esculenta and control plants were also investigated.
The results showed that plant height was suppressed by U. esculenta infection,and it decreased according to the order:control plants > plants infected by T strain > plants infected by M-T strain.It
was also observed that plants infected by two distinct strains of the fungus had significantly higher tiller
number and aboveground biomass(especially sheath and culm biomass)compared to control plants. In
addition,fresh weights and volumes of the culms decreased according to t he order:plants infected by M-T
strain > plants infected by T strain > control plants.Our study also indicated that application of fungicide
was considered to be the main factor causing plants to escape from fungal infection,while,irradiation
and water deficiency were observed to facilitate the generation of T strain mutant from M-T strain fungus.
Our results showed that T strain fungus was genetically stable.