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Influence of cucumber mosaic virus infection on the competitive ability and reproduction of chickweed (Stellaria media)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 April 1997

N. FRIESS
Affiliation:
Department of Plant Biology, Ecology and Pathology, Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique de Montpellier, Montpellier 34060 Cedex 1 France
J. MAILLET
Affiliation:
Department of Plant Biology, Ecology and Pathology, Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique de Montpellier, Montpellier 34060 Cedex 1 France
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Abstract

Chickweed plants (Stellaria media Vill.), either inoculated with cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) or not, were grown to reproductive maturity at a range of densities, both in monoculture and in mixture. CMV infection did not influence the vegetative growth of plants grown in monoculture. Similarly, the total vegetative production of a population containing infected and healthy plants was the same as that of a monoculture of healthy plants. However, infected plants were disadvantaged when in competition with healthy plants, the disadvantage increasing with density and the proportion of healthy plants. Investment in sexual reproduction was reduced in infected plants at all densities and in healthy plants at high densities. In very hard conditions, plants did not even produce seeds.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© Trustees of the New Phytologist 1997

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