Abstract
Powdery mildews are among the most important plant diseases
worldwide. These diseases, caused by biotrophic, epiphytic fungi
belonging to Erysiphales, account for the greatest part of the fungicides
used in European agriculture and especially in vineyards. An
attractive and environmentally safe alternative to fungicide application
is the use of biocontrol agents (BCAs), including Ampelomyces
spp., a group of hyperparasitic fungi affecting several powdery
mildews of different cultivated and wild plants. This work was carried
out within the EU-funded project “BCA-grape”, aimed at developing
new biocontrol agents for powdery mildew on grapevines.
Eighteen strains of Ampelomyces belonging to the culture collection
of the Plant Protection Institute of the Hungarian Academy of
Sciences, Budapest, were investigated for their ecological requirements
and biological characteristics in order to identify candidate
BCAs for grapevine powdery mildew. Mycelium growth rate, production
of picnidia, and germination of conidia were determined
in vitro under different environmental conditions. The mycoparasitic
activities of the strains were tested in both controlled and natural
environments using potted and field-grown grapevine plants,
respectively. In these experiments, Ampelomyces strains were applied
to powdery mildew colonies at different colony growth
stages. Statistically significant differences were found among the
strains and, interestingly, among some of these strains and the commercial
product AQ10, which contains A. quisqualis. The preliminary
results from this work are promising in that they demonstrate
substantial potential for control of grapevine powdery mildew by
Ampelomyces spp.
Lingua originale | English |
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pagine (da-a) | S4.68-S4.68 |
Numero di pagine | 1 |
Rivista | Journal of Plant Pathology |
Volume | 2009 |
Stato di pubblicazione | Pubblicato - 2009 |
Evento | 15° Convegno Nazionale SIPaV, 28settembre-1 ottobre 2009 - Locorotondo, Bari, Italia Durata: 28 set 2009 → 1 ott 2009 |
Keywords
- biological control
- grapevine
- powdery mildews