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Solid substrate for production of Alternaria alternata conidia: a potential mycoherbicide for the control of Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth)
Author(s) -
Babu RM,
Sajeena A,
Seetharaman K
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
weed research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.693
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1365-3180
pISSN - 0043-1737
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3180.2004.00403.x
Subject(s) - alternaria alternata , eichhornia crassipes , conidium , hyacinth , biology , weed , biological pest control , bioherbicide , horticulture , agronomy , sorghum , spore , substrate (aquarium) , botany , aquatic plant , ecology , macrophyte , paleontology
Summary Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth), a major aquatic weed in India, is one of the targets in a biological weed control research programme in India. A fungal pathogen, Alternaria alternata , is being evaluated as a biological control agent for this weed. The feasibility of solid substrate for the mass production of A. alternata has been examined. Conidia production and virulence of A. alternata were affected by temperature, light and incubation period. The highest number of conidia were produced on rice seed followed by wheat, sorghum, maize seeds and cornmeal at 20°C when exposed to near‐ultraviolet than on the other substrates, while the least conidia were observed on these substrates under light conditions. At 20°C, large numbers of virulent conidia were produced on rice seeds after 4 weeks of incubation under constant dark conditions. Henceforth, the use of rice seeds as a solid substrate for production of A. alternata could be a feasible method to produce conidia in a village co‐operative scenario in India.