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Title: EVALUATION OF FUSARIUM AVENACEUM AND OTHER FUNGI FOR POTENTIAL AS BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AGENTS OF INVASIVE RUBUS SPECIES IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

Author
item OLESKEVICH, C - SIMON FRASER UNIV, BC
item SHAMOUN, S - SIMON FASER UNIV, BC
item Vesonder, Ronald
item PUNJA, Z - CANADIAN FOREST SRV, BC

Submitted to: Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/1/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Based on this research, a mold called Fusarium was isolated from a weed called Rubus. This is one of the main weeds which chokes off young pine seedlings for reforestation. The mold was found to control the weed Rubus against pine seedlings. This Fusarium mold is a good candidate for control of the weed Rubus because inoculum is easily produced, the formulation requires no dew period and use of a spray method causes much leaf damage. This information may be useful to scientists working in biocontrol of weeds in reforestation sites.

Technical Abstract: Fungi were isolated from naturally infected Rubus strigosus, R. parviflorus, and R. spectabilis plants in an attempt to identify biological control agents for these invasive species in reforestation sites. Three endemic fungi, Fusarium avenaceum, Colletotrichum dematium, and a Phomopsis sp., were selected for further study after they were found to induce >50% leaf area necrosis when inoculated onto detached Rubus leaves using in vitro pathogenicity tests. However, when inoculum was applied to intact Rubus plants under shadehouse conditions, significant foliar necrosis was not observed. Inoculum production methods, amendment of inocula with adjuvants, and application of low doses of glyphosate were investigated for their effects on pathogenicity. Foliar infection was increased significantly when inoculum of F. avenaceum was grown on a rice-grain substrate and applied in combination with an organosilicone surfactant (0.4% Silwet L-77) to R. strigosus and R. parviflorus plants. Extraction and analysis of infested rice filtrates for metabolite production showed that a single toxin, moniliformin, was present at levels of 3300 ppm. Pathogenicity of the other two fungi was not enhanced under any conditions assayed. The potential for further development of F. avenaceum as a biological control agent of weedy Rubus species is discussed.