Fig. 2.

Biomass quantification of Leptosphaeria maculans “brassicae” and Leptosphaeria biglobosa “brassicae” during colonization of Brassica napus. Quantifications of DNA of Leptosphaeria maculans “brassicae” (Lmb) (a) and Leptosphaeria biglobosa “brassicae” (Lbb) (b) were done at 2, 4, 7, 9, and 11 days post-inoculation (dpi) of Brassica napus cv. Darmor-bzh. Single-species inoculation (SSI) were done by inoculating pycnidiospore suspensions of Lmb or Lbb at 10⁷ pycnidiospores.mL⁻¹ (SSI, purple bars) or at 10⁵ pycnidiospores.mL⁻¹ (SSI, pink bars, not done for Lmb). Mixed species inoculations (MSI) were as follows: (i) delayed MSI with an addition of Lbb inoculum 2 days after the inoculation of Lmb (dMSI, red bars); (ii) concomitant MSI with different spore concentrations: Lmb at 10⁷ pycnidiospores.mL⁻¹ and Lbb at 10⁵ pycnidiospores.mL⁻¹ (uMSI, blue bars); (iii) concomitant MSI with equal concentration of pycnidiospores (mix of 10⁷ pycnidiospores.mL⁻¹ for each species) (eMSI, green bars). DNA quantities were measured by qPCR using partial sequence of the EF1α gene for Lmb, and of the actin gene for Lbb, using six biological replicates for SSI conditions and three biological replicates for the three MSI conditions. Each black dot corresponds to individual values for each replicate in a given condition. Pairwise statistical comparisons were done on the average DNA quantities obtained on all replicates in each condition and at each timepoint. Statistical analyses were done with the non-parametrical Wilcoxon test. The asterisks represent a significant difference compared to the control SSI (p < 0.05). The error bars represent the standard deviation