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Evaluation of Fungal Pathogens as Biological Control Agents for Cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Camilla B. Yandoc ,
Raghavan Charudattan  and
Donn G. Shilling
Camilla B. Yandoc*
Affiliation:
U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Research Service, 2001 South Rock Road, Fort Pierce, FL 34945
Raghavan Charudattan
Affiliation:
Plant Pathology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
Donn G. Shilling
Affiliation:
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602
*
Corresponding author's E-mail: cyandoc@ushrl.ars.usda.gov
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Abstract

Based on field surveys and evaluations in the greenhouse, two fungal pathogens, Bipolaris sacchari and Drechslera gigantea, were identified as promising biological control agents for cogongrass. In greenhouse trials, the application of spore suspensions of these fungi containing 105 spores/ ml in a 1% aqueous gelatin solution to cogongrass plants and their incubation in a dew chamber for 24 h resulted in disease symptoms that ranged from discrete lesions to complete blighting of leaves. Disease severity (DS), based on a rating scale for southern corn leaf blight with 50% as the maximum DS rating, ranged from 42 to 49%. In greenhouse experiments, the application of spores formulated in an oil emulsion composed of 4% horticultural oil, 10% light mineral oil, and 86% water resulted in higher levels of foliar blight with no dew exposure or shorter periods of dew exposure (4, 8, or 12 h) as compared with the application of spores formulated in 1% gelatin. Field trials demonstrated that under natural conditions, the application of a spore and an oil emulsion mixture containing 105 spores/ml of either fungus could cause foliar injury from disease and phytotoxic damage from the oil emulsion. Depending on the application rate (100 or 200 ml/plot), the level of foliar injury ranged from 40 to 86% (based on a field assessment scale of 0 to 100% foliar injury) with B. sacchari as the test fungus. However, with D. gigantea as the test fungus, foliar injury ranged from 9 to 70% depending on the application volume and the oil concentration used. Although B. sacchari and D. gigantea were capable of causing foliar blight on cogongrass, the regenerative ability of the rhizomes allowed cogongrass to recover from the damage caused by these fungi. However, the level of injury caused by these fungi is sufficient to support their use as components for integrated management of cogongrass.

Keywords

Cogongrass, Imperata cylindrica (L.) Beauv. # IMPCYcorn, Zea mays L.Bioherbicidebiological controlBipolaris sacchari (E.J. Butler) Shoemaker, Drechslera gigantea (Heald & F.A. Wolf) ItoCRD, completely randomized designDAI, days after inoculationDS, disease severityRH, relative humiditySOE, spore and oil emulsion mixtureWAI, weeks after inoculationWM, weed mortality
Type
Research Article
Information
Weed Technology , Volume 19 , Issue 1 , March 2005 , pp. 19 - 26
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

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