Incidence and viability of Acremonium endophytes in tall fescue accessions from North Spain

The tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) seed collection of the Centro de Investigaciones Agrarias de Mabegondo was surveyed to determine Acremonium infection rates. One hundred seeds from each of 19 accessions were microscopically examined for endophyte. Seventeen accessions (90%) contained endophyte with a range of 7 to 100%. Leaf sheaths of seedlings from the infected accessions were examined to determine the percentage of infection with viable endophyte. Only seven (41%) of the seventeen infected accessions collected and stored in 1995 at 4 degrees C and 45-50% relative humidity contained viable endophyte with a range of 70 to 100%. While existing germplasm collections of Festuca arundinacea can provide only a small basis of Acremonium germplasm for study, newly collected Festuca arundinacea accessions will offer a greater diversity of Acremonium genotypes.