Influence of host and pathogen variables on the efficacy of Phoma herbarum, a potential biological control agent of Taraxacum officinale

Abstract

Phoma herbarum Westendorp has been identified as a potential biological weed control agent (BWCA) for Taraxacum officinale Weber in turf. However, host and pathogen variables that influence the efficacy of this BWCA need to be identified to provide more optimal conditions for production and efficacy. In controlled-environment studies, 4-week-old T. officinale plants were significantly more susceptible to P. herbarum than were plants that were 6 and 8 weeks old, nonflowering but mature, budding, or flowering. Mycelial suspensions incited significantly more severe disease than conidia, and 5-day-old mycelial shake cultures incited significantly higher disease than 3-, 7-, 9-, 11-, or 13-day-old cultures. A concentration of 10 to 20% of mycelial fragments in potato dextrose broth (v/v) incited higher disease severity than 0, 40, 60, or 100%. These experiments identified several important host and pathogen variables that influence the efficacy of P. herbarum on T. officinale and established more optimal conditions for production and efficacy of this BWCA.Key words: biological weed control, bioherbicide, mycoherbicide, Taraxacum officinale, dandelion, Phoma herbarum.