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Title: TALL FESCUE ENDOPHYTE DETECTION: COMMERCIAL IMMUNOBLOT TEST KIT COMPARED WITH MICROSCOPIC ANALYSIS

Author
item HIATT, E - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item HILL, N - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item BOUTON, J - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item Stuedemann, John

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/10/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Tall fescue is the predominant cool season grass in the humid pasture region of the eastern United States. Unfortunately, from an animal perspective, most of the 14 million hectares are infected with a fungus that produces chemical compounds that result in reduced animal performance which results in an estimated loss of over $600 million annually. A reliable, efficient, and accurate fungus detection method for seed and plant tissue is needed for tall fescue breeders and seed-lot analysts. Results of this research showed that the immunoblot detection kit provided a reliable and accurate fungus detection method that could readily be conducted on large numbers of samples.

Technical Abstract: A reliable, efficient, and accurate detection method for presence of the endophytic fungus, Neotyphodium coenophialum (Morgan-Jones and Gams) Glenn, Bacon and Hanlin comb. nov., in tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) seed and plant tissue would be beneficial for tall fescue breeding and seed lot analysis. This experiment was conducted to determine the accuracy, reliability, and reproducibility of the Phytoscreen Neotyphodium immunoblo detection kit (Agrinostic Ltd. Co., Watkinsville, GA). Tissue immunoblot was compared to histological staining followed by microscopic analysis on tall fescue tillers from a greenhouse grow-out test, field grown spaced plants, established field paddocks, and different tall fescue seed lots. Endophyte-infected and endophyte-free tall fescue populations were evaluated using both methods. Results obtained by both methods were similar regardless of the infection level of the population, type of tissue eassayed, or the technician that conducted the assay. The immunoblot detection kit was accurate and reliable and readily accommodated large numbers of samples.