Tree genetics defines fungal partner communities that may confer drought tolerance
Abstract
Soil microbes influence plant performance and may be critical to the persistence of some plants with climate change. However, microbes are highly diverse, and individuals of the same plant species often associate with different microbes. We examined the importance of soil microbes to the growth and survival of a widespread pine under drought conditions. We found that specific beneficial fungus-host genotype combinations promoted drought tolerance in field and greenhouse studies. Drought tolerance, and associations with particular fungi, were passed from mother trees to their offspring, indicating the traits are genetic. These results demonstrate the interlinked importance of the genetics of a tree and its microbiome, which can be used to restore forest losses resulting from drought.
- Publication:
-
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
- Pub Date:
- October 2017
- DOI:
- 10.1073/pnas.1704022114
- Bibcode:
- 2017PNAS..11411169G