Comparative doseresponses of five pasture weeds to a <i>Sclerotinia sclerotiorum</i> mycoherbicide

Abstract

A gel preparation of mycelia of the plant pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum was applied to the pasture weeds Carduus nutans L Carduus tenuiflorus L Cirsium arvense (L) Scop Jacobaea vulgaris L and Ranunculus acris L Doses ranging from 0 to 1000 l gel/plant were applied as 10 or 50 l droplets one per leaf axil Statistically significant responses to dose were evident in C arvense J vulgaris and R acris leading to 90 74 and 100 reductions in living tissue respectively at 200 l/plant compared to the control 29 days after treatment For C nutans and C tenuiflorus where even low doses gave good control the reductions (averaged over all doses) were 98 and 88 respectively indicating that these two annual thistles were exceptionally susceptible to this S sclerotiorum formulation For C nutans 1 litre of the gel would if precision applied be sufficient to control at least 20000 plants suggesting broadacre use may be commercially viable

Exploring the Feasibility of Sclerotium rolfsii VrNY as a Potential Bioherbicide for Control of Swallowworts (Vincetoxicum spp.)

“…At least three such plant pathogens have been explored, including S. minor Jagger for broadleaf weed management in turfgrass (Schnick et al 2002;Shaheen et al 2010) and S. sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary for pasture lands distant from vegetable production (Bourdôt et al 2006(Bourdôt et al , 2011. Although both of these fungi infect multiple crops and both utilize sclerotia as the primary propagule, little secondary inoculum formed under field conditions or had limited overwintering capacity (Bourdot et al 2000;Brière et al 2000;Hallett 2005).…”