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Biological control of Pythium ultimum –induced damping‐off by treating cress seed with the mycoparasite Pythium oligandrum
Author(s) -
ALHAMDANI A. M.,
LUTCHMEAH R. S.,
COOKE R. C.
Publication year - 1983
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 - 10.1111/j.1365-3059.1983.tb02860.x
Subject(s) - pythium ultimum , damping off , biology , seedling , oospore , pythium , phycomycetes , germination , botany , biological pest control , agronomy , horticulture , inoculation
Incorporation of the aggressive mycoparasite Pythium oligandrum into a carboxymethyl cellulose‐based seed coating decreased damping‐off of cress seedlings by Pythium ultimum in both naturally infested soil and artificially infested sand. This effect is attributed to the germination of P. oligandrum oospores on the seed surface with subsequent generation of a protectant mycelium around the seedling. P. oligandrum oospores survived storage periods of 10—20 weeks at zero relative humidity both on glass slides and within seed coatings. The mycoparasite also survived an 18–month burial in natural soil, probably in the form of oospores. The implications of these observations for biocontrol of seedling diseases by P. oligandrum are discussed.