Biological control of toxigenic Fusarium spp in crop residues: a new tool for IPM in cereals

KOLH J; PALAZZINI, J; KASTELEIN, P; GROENENBOON DE HAAS, L; CHULZE, S

Wageningen

Conferencia; 10th Conference of the European Foundation for Plant Pathology; 2012

European Foundation for Plant Pathology

Infections by toxigenic Fusarium spp. can cause Fusarium head blight (FHB) in cereals leading to severe losses. Furthermore, Fusarium spp. can produce various mycotoxins resulting in quality losses of grain. Crop residues colonised by Fusarium spp. are the main inoculum source for FHB epidemics. Crop rotation and tillage form the corner stones in IPM to prevent FHB by reducing the inoculum load in cereal crops. However, economical reasons often force growers to produce cereals including maize in narrow rotations and use direct drilling or reduced tillage. Under these conditions, the presence of crop residues increases the risk of FHB significantly. Fusarium spp. were monitored in residues of wheat crops using species-specific qPCR. Under field conditions, Fusarium spp. survived better in stem bases than in residues of other plant parts. Antagonists were selected which suppressed colonisation and sporulation of Fusarium spp. in crop residues of wheat and maizeunder controlled conditions in bioassays. Two isolates of Clonostachysrosea were subsequently tested under field conditions in Argentina at two locations during two years. The application of spore suspensions of C. rosea on crop residuesin autumn led to significant reductions of the colonisation by Fusarium spp. in the following spring.  Biocontrol products based on C. rosea can be a new tool in IPM, especially in cropping systems of cereals with narrow crop rotationand reduced tillage.