Evaluating fungi from wood and canola for their ability to decompose canola stubble

Abstract

The survival and impact on canola of Leptosphaeria maculans, the causal agent of blackleg, might be reduced by agents that decompose canola stubble. Fifty-six fungal isolates from wood or canola were evaluated for their ability to overcome several biological and (or) physical constraints to their effectiveness in decomposing and (or) eliminating L. maculans from canola stubble. Relative to fungi from canola, wood decay fungi were more tolerant of reduced water potential but somewhat less tolerant of lower temperature. Wood decay fungi were no better than those isolated from canola at decomposing sterile canola stubble and less able than Coprinus spp. and Cyathus olla in colonizing and surviving in nonsterile stubble. None of the isolates were effective in eliminating L. maculans from stubble pieces or causing significant decomposition of nonsterile stubble either under laboratory conditions or in the field. These results suggest that considerable effort would be required to find isolates effective in managing blackleg disease through stubble decomposition. Wood decay fungi would seem to have little potential as biological control agents in this pathosystem because of their inability to colonize and decompose nonsterile canola stubble.