Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Sidney, Montana » Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory » Agricultural Systems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #295628
Title: Investigation of Peniophora nuda for biological control of Cercospora beticola and Pyrenophora teres

Author
item Lartey, Robert
item SALAMI, ABIODUN - Obafemi Awolowo University
item Caesar, Thecan
item BALOGH, ERIKA - University Of South Carolina
item Hanson, Sophia
item GHOSHROY, SOUMITRA - University Of South Carolina

Submitted to: International Congress of Plant Pathology Abstracts and Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/30/2013
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The Basidiomycete, Peniophora nuda (Fr.) Bres. belongs to the class Agaricomycetes and has been isolated in North America, Europe including Great Britain, Hawaii (US in Oceania) and New Zealand. Cercospora leaf spot of sugar beet (CLS) caused by Cercospora beticola and Net blotch of barley caused by Pyrenophora teres and are major foliar diseases of the two crops. Both diseases also occur in the Northern Great Plains (NGP) of the US where the two crops are frequently rotated. As in other locations, the two diseases and are frequently controlled by selection of resistance varieties and application of fungicides. The diseases however occasionally develop resistant to fungicides. We recently isolated the fungus P. nuda and present first studies on its potential to control C. beticola and P. teres. The first test on potential for biological control was carried out on standard inhibition. In the petri dish experiments, growth of both C. beticola and P. teres were significantly inhibited when they were paired against the isolate of P. nuda. Cercosporin is a broad spectrum toxin that is produced by Cercospora species and that is toxic to several fungi, bacteria and other organisms. The toxin was not able to protect C. beticola from being overcome by P. nuda. Follow up electron microscopic investigations were carried out to understand the basis for the inhibition of the two pathogens by P. nuda, the potential biological control agent. The investigation revealed structural damages of hyphae of both C. beticola and P. teres after soon their initial physical contact with the antagonist. The research identified P. nuda as a potential biological control agent to manage CLS of sugar beet and net blotch of barley.

Technical Abstract: Peniophora nuda (Fr.) Bres. belongs to the class Agaricomycetes under the phylum Basidiomycota and has been isolated in Europe, Great Britain, North America, Hawaii (US in Oceania) and New Zealand. Net blotch caused by Pyrenophora teres and Cercospora leaf spot (CLS) caused by Cercospora beticola are major foliar diseases of barley and sugar beet. The two diseases also occur in the Northern Great Plains (NGP) of the US and are frequently controlled by resistance selection and fungicides applications. We present first studies on potential of P. nuda to control C. beticola and P. teres. To investigate potential for biological control of C. beticola and P. teres by P. nuda, studies on standard inhibition were first conducted. In petri dish experiments, growth of C. beticola and P. teres were significantly inhibited when they were paired against isolate of P. nuda. Cercosporin, a broad spectrum toxin that is produced by Cercospora species and that is toxic to several fungi, was not able to protect C. beticola from being overwhelmed by P. nuda. In follow up studies on the basis for inhibition of the two pathogens by the potential biological control agent, electron microscopic investigations revealed structural damages of hyphae of the two pathogens after initial physical contact with P. nuda. Our results identified P. teres as a potential biological control agent to manage CLS of sugar beet and net blotch of barley.