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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Pierce, Florida » U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory » Subtropical Plant Pathology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #153021
Title: EVALUATION OF THE BIOHERBICIDAL FUNGUS DACTYLARIA HIGGINSII AS A COMPONENT OF AN INTEGRATED APPORACH TO PEST MANAGEMENT IN TOMATO PRODUCTION

Author
item Rosskopf, Erin
item Ables, Camilla
item DEVALERIO - UNIV OF FLORIDA
item CHARUDATTAN, R. - UNIV OF FLORIDA

Submitted to: Phytopathology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/1/2003
Publication Date: 9/9/2003
Citation: Rosskopf, E.N., Yandoc, C.B., Devalerio, Charudattan, R. 2003. Evaluation of the bioherbicidal fungus dactylaria higginsii as a component of an IPM approach to pest management in tomato. Phytopathology. 93:S75

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Purple nutsedge Cyperus rotundus is one of the most difficult to control troublesome weeds in crop production in the southern United States. The mandated reduction in the use of methyl bromide as a broad-spectrum pesticide increases the potential of purple nutsedge to reduce crop yield. Previous studies have shown that Dactylaria higginsii can reduce the competitive ability of purple nutsedge. As an alternative to methyl bromide fumigation, an integrated pest management approach with D. higginsii as one of the components was designed. A tomato production system utilizing fallow season and in-season treatments was tested in 2001 and 2002. Three fallow treatments disk fallow, glyphosate application, and D. higginsii application were combined with in-season treatments of Telone C-35, Telone C-35/Tillam, and Telone C-35/ D. higginsii . In the first year of study, only the in-season treatments had significant effects on purple nutsedge density. In the second year of study, the fallow season treatments had significant effects on purple nutsedge density, with glyphosate-treated plots having significantly fewer nutsedge emerging through plastic during the cropping season.