ISSN:
1365-3059
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
Notes:
The effects of the mycoparasites Coniothyrium minitans and Trichoderma atroviride on the suppression of alfalfa blossom blight caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum were evaluated under indoor and field conditions. When T. atroviride (9·0 × 104 conidia/floret) + S. sclerotiorum (6·0 × 103 ascospores/floret) or C. minitans (9·0 × 104 conidia/floret) + S. sclerotiorum (6·0 × 103 ascospores/floret) were applied to detached young alfalfa florets, T. atroviride effectively inhibited saprophytic growth of S. sclerotiorum, whereas C. minitans showed no inhibition under the same conditions. When T. atroviride (6·9 × 104 conidia/floret) + S. sclerotiorum (6·0 × 103 ascospores/floret) or C. minitans (6·9 × 104 conidia/floret) + S. sclerotiorum (6·0 × 103 ascospores/floret) was applied to young alfalfa petals in vivo just after pollination, the percentage of pod formation was higher for T. atroviride+S. sclerotiorum than that for C. minitans+S. sclerotiorum, and the percentage of pod rot was lower for T. atroviride+S. sclerotiorum than that for C. minitans+S. sclerotiorum. However, when they were applied to senescent petals attached to developing pods of alfalfa at 9·2 × 104 conidia/floret together with S. sclerotiorum at 4·5 × 103 ascospores/floret at 14 days after pollination, C. minitans was more effective than T. atroviride in suppressing sclerotinia pod rot and seed rot of alfalfa. Field experiments showed that three applications of C. minitans (5·4 × 106 conidia mL−1) or T. atroviride (5·4 × 106 conidia mL−1) at a 7-day interval to blossoms of alfalfa effectively suppressed sclerotinia pod rot in two out of three annual trials. Coniothyrium minitans effectively suppressed sclerotinia seed rot in all three years, whereas T. atroviride was not effective against seed rot in any of the trial years. The efficacy of C. minitans was not significantly different (P 〉 0·05) from benomyl (250 µg ai mL−1). This study suggests that C. minitans has potential as a biocontrol agent to control blossom blight of alfalfa caused by S. sclerotiorum.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3059.2005.01119.x
