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Evaluating Verticillium dahliae for biological control of Ophiostoma novo‐ulmi in Ulmus minor
Author(s) -
Solla A.,
Gil L.
Publication year - 2003
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.1365-3059.2003.00921.x
Subject(s) - ophiostoma , biology , dutch elm disease , verticillium dahliae , wilting , inoculation , ulmaceae , botany , horticulture , verticillium wilt , fungus
The ability of isolate Vd‐48 of Verticillium dahliae to induce resistance against subsequent challenge with Ophiostoma novo‐ulmi was examined in Ulmus minor . In the first experiment, conditioning inoculation of 5‐year‐old elm trees (2–3 m in height) with Vd‐48 15 days prior to challenge inoculation with O. novo‐ulmi significantly reduced wilting ( P ≤ 0·05) compared with trees not conditioned with Vd‐48. However, in another experiment on 6‐year‐old trees (2–3·5 m in height), no protection was achieved when the length of time between conditioning and challenge inoculations was 45 or 60 days. In a further experiment, inoculations with Vd‐48 alone resulted in severe wilting in 22 out of 118 trees (6–10 years old and 4–7 m in height). Across the 2 years of this last trial, nine trees showed massive feeding wounds made by Scolytus sp., while O. novo‐ulmi strains were isolated from six trees. Vd‐48 provided a variable prophylactic effect against O. novo‐ulmi in U. minor . Major difficulties with this approach to control Dutch elm disease are discussed.