HortScience (1997) 32, 262-266

Ken K. Ng, Leslie MacDonald and Zamir K. Punja (1997)
Biological control of rose powdery mildew with the antagonist yeast Tilletiopsis pallescens
HortScience 32 (2), 262-266
Abstract: The efficacy of Tilletiopsis pallescens Gokhale, a naturally occurring ballistosporeforming yeast isolated from mildew-infected leaves, was evaluated as a biological control agent against rose powdery mildew [Sphaerotheca pannosa (Wallr.:Fr.) Lév. var. rosae Woronichin]. Two trials were conducted on potted rose (Rosa sp.) plants (1-year-old cv. Cardinal Pink) under commercial greenhouse-growing conditions during the summer (June to September) when mildew was most severe. Mildew-infected plants were subjected to one of four treatments: a T. pallescens spore suspension applied three times (3-4 d apart), distilled water (applied three times), one application of T. pallescens spore suspension, or one application of culture filtrate without spores. Two weeks after treatment began, mildew development was evaluated by enumerating conidial density on sampled leaflets. Sporulation was significantly reduced (by 97%-98%) on plants treated with three applications of T. pallescens spore suspension, compared to a 47%-57% reduction on plants treated with three applications of distilled water. There was no significant difference in conidial density between plants treated with one application of T. pallescens spore suspension and plants treated with one application of its culture filtrate, with a 78%-94% reduction in conidia, which was significantly higher than for the water treatment. The mode(s) of action of T. pallescens appears to be eradicant and associated with enzymes or metabolites produced in the culture filtrate. The results from this study demonstrate the potential for biological control of rose powdery mildew under commercial growing conditions in British Columbia.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
evaluation - screening - selection

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Podosphaera pannosa	Rosa (crop)	Canada (west)
Golubevia pallescens (antagonist)	Podosphaera pannosa	Rosa (crop)	Canada (west)