Phytopathology (1996) 86, S102-S103

C. Oleskevich, S.F. Shamoun and Z.K. Punja (1996)
Evaluation of Fusarium avenaceum and other candidate fungi for biological control of invasive Rubus spp.
Phytopathology 86 (11 suppl.), S102-S103
Abstract: Three fungi, Fusarium avenaceum, Colletotrichum dematium, and a Phomopsis sp., were isolated from diseased Rubus tissues and investigated individually as potential biocontrol agents for Rubus parviflorus and R. spectabilis. All three fungi caused >50% leaf necrosis when inoculum, produced on agar or liquid media, was applied to detached Rubus leaves. On intact Rubus plants, similar inoculum did not significantly influence the growth of treated plants, regardless of the incorporation of several adjuvants. Predisposing host plants with low doses (2 mM) of glyphosate, followed by F. avenaceum inoculum, resulted in significantly greater % leaf area necrosis on R. parviflorus than either fungus or glyphosate applied alone, at 7 days. When grown on rice and applied as a culture filtrate, F. avenaceum caused significant foliar necrosis on intact Rubus plants. Analysis of culture filtrates revealed that a single toxin, moniliformin, was present at >3000 ppm. In shadehouse trials, the filtrates, combined with an organosilicone surfactant (0.4% Silwet L-77), caused 50-100% and 25-50% foliar necrosis in R. parviflorus and in R. spectabllis, respectively, without a dew period. F. avenaceum may be considered a potential biocontrol agent on Rubus species in forest sites.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Simon Francis Shamoun

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.
	Rubus parviflorus (weed)
	Rubus spectabilis (weed)
Fusarium (weed pathogen)	Rubus parviflorus (weed)
Fusarium (weed pathogen)	Rubus spectabilis (weed)