Understanding endophytes.
Endophytes are fungi that grow internally within grass plants. Various strains of endophytes are present in many grass cultivars. These fungi produce chemical compounds that help protect plants from a range of insects. However, they can also cause animal health issues, such as ryegrass staggers, making it crucial to balance insect protection and animal safety. As living organisms, endophytes can die over time in stored seed due to factors like heat, aging, poor storage and moisture, leading to a decrease in their protective effect against insect pests.
Types of endophytes.
There are various types of endophytes: standard, novel and low, each differing in persistence, yield and level of insect protection.
Standard endophyte.
The standard strain indicates that the cultivar contains a naturally occurring wild-type endophyte, which helps resist insect attacks (e.g. Argentine stem weevil and Black Beetle) and prevents over-grazing. However, in dry summer conditions, it may cause ryegrass staggers, heat stress, and reduced animal growth rates.
Novel endophytes.
New novel strains are currently being developed that may cause ryegrass staggers or may not, but they generally possess some toxicity to specific pasture insects. The effectiveness of these strains varies depending on the specific endophyte and the grass cultivar’s response to it.
Over time, the industry has created a range of endophytes that mitigate animal safety concerns while maintaining a degree of resistance to insect pests, including the CM142 endophyte developed by Cropmark Seeds.
Low endophytes.
Low endophyte indicates minimal or no endophyte infection in the seed, making it a great choice for areas with low insect predation and high summer moisture.
Storing seed containing endophyte.
As endophytes are living organisms, they are likely to die over time as stored seed. The rate of deterioration depends on a number of factors, of which the most important are storage conditions. As heat and high humidity are the biggest accelerators of deterioration, seeds should be stored in cool store conditions under low humidity (or ideally, cool stored).
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