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Field testing of honeybee‐dispersed Trichoderma spp. to manage sunflower head rot ( Sclerotinia sclerotiorum )
Author(s) -
Escande A. R.,
Laich F. S.,
Pedraza M. V.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
plant pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.928
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1365-3059
pISSN - 0032-0862
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-3059.2002.00723.x
Subject(s) - sclerotinia sclerotiorum , biology , sunflower , trichoderma , trichoderma harzianum , horticulture , conidium , sclerotinia , inoculation , biological pest control , crop , botany , agronomy
Efficacy of Trichoderma spp. to reduce sunflower head rot caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum was evaluated in the field. A mixture of six isolates, including Trichoderma koningii , T. aureoviride and T. longibrachiatum , was tested in five field trials at Balcarce, Argentina. Trichoderma formulation (TF) included Trichoderma conidia and viable hyphal fragments, industrial talc and milled corn kernels. Honeybees ( Apis mellifera ) were used to disperse TF for six weeks from the onset of flowering. Two days after the first TF delivery, sunflower heads were inoculated with S. sclerotiorum ascospores. When 100 g TF was taken by honeybees in a 10‐h per day period, head rot incidence was significantly reduced. This approach was successful in reducing disease incidence until physiological maturity of the crop, in environments highly conducive to head‐rot development.