<i>Sclerotinia sclerotiorum</i> shows potential for controlling water lettuce alligator weed and wandering Jew

Abstract

The responses of six aquatic environmental weeds (water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides) water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) ferny azolla (Azolla pinnata) parrots feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum) and bladderwort (Utricularia giba) and a terrestrial weed (wandering Jew (Tradescantia fluminensis)) to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum were evaluated The fungus was applied as a myceliumonbarley formulation to individual containergrown plants Visual scores of lesion development revealed that a watery softrot disease caused by the pathogen developed in the treated water lettuce alligator weed and wandering Jew plants In water lettuce the pathogen resulted in 100 mortality of treated plants 54 days after application Shoot necrosis was 4 (control) and 24 (treated) for wandering Jew and 9 (control) and 17 (treated) for alligator weed at 35 and 52 days after inoculation respectively These results indicate that S sclerotiorum has potential as a mycoherbicide for controlling water lettuce and possibly also alligator weed and wandering Jew

Isolation of white rot,Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, causing leaf necrosis onTradescantia fluminensisin New Zealand

“…Necrotic leaf and stem lesions had mostly appeared on all inoculated plants after 7 days confirming pathogenicity of the fungus on this host. Further inoculation assays were subsequently undertaken to further elucidate the pathogenicity of S. sclerotiorum on T. fluminensis in New Zealand (Waipara et al 2006). Reisolation of the fungus from necrotic leaf and stem lesions, post inoculation, confirmed Koch's postulates.…”

“…de Bary, commonly known as white rot, is a naturally occurring widespread pathogen of many unrelated plant hosts in New Zealand (Pennycook 1989). As well as being a serious pre-and post-harvest pathogen of significant economic crop species (Pennycook 1989), it has previously been recorded on several weed species in New Zealand (Waipara et al 1993) and has subsequently been developed as an inundative mycoherbicide for weed biocontrol purposes (Waipara et al 2006).…”

Geïntegreerde beheersing van ziekten en plagen in teelten van kroosvaren (Azolla)

“…Het effect van S. sclerotiorum op Azolla werd getest in een onderzoek naar biologische bestrijding van verschillende waterplanten met schimmels (Waipara et. al., 2006).…”

Occurrence and diversity of fungal pathogens associated with water hyacinth and their potential as biocontrol agents in the Rift Valley of Ethiopia

“…Plants were examined for disease symptom expression five days after inoculation for five weeks. Disease symptom expression on the water hyacinth leaves was rated on a severity scale of 0-5 (Waipara et al 2006). The experiment was repeated three times.…”