Screening Selected Fungi for Antagonism towardsPseudocercosporella herpotrichoides(Fron) Deighton, the Cause of Eyespot Disease of Cereals

Abstract

In the laboratory, a dual culture primary screen using wheat straw agar (WSA) showed that 64 out of 152 selected fungi inhibited the in vitro growth of Pseudocercosporella herpotrichoides by 50% or more. An ‘asymmetric’ species of Penicillium isolated from wheat stubble was the most effective, inhibiting growth of the pathogen by 70%. The results were similar using both W‐type and R‐type isolates of P. herpotrichoides. Other fungi showing in vitro antagonism included: Trichoderma viride, T. koningii, T. harzianum, Chaetomium globosum, Acremonium persicum, Botryotrichum piluliferum, Sordaria alcina, Microdochium bolleyi, Rhizoctonia cerealis and Laetisaria arvalis. In a glasshouse secondary screen, the 64 fungi showing antagonism in vitro were assessed further for their ability to reduce eyespot disease symptoms of wheat seedlings using a straw collar co‐inoculation technique. Of them, 13 fungi reduced disease symptoms significantly: a Chaetomium sp. from stubble, two Fusarium spp., a F. culmorum isolate T. viride, T. koningii, T. harzianum, B. piluliferum, M. bolleyi, L. arvalis, the ‘asymmetric’ Penicillium sp. and two unidentified fungi from stubble. A F. culmorum isolate was the most effective antagonist on average, giving disease reductions of 54 and 58% for the W‐type and R‐type of P. herpotrichoides respectively. M. bolleyi, T. harzianum and the F. culmorum isolate were the most effective antagonists of the W‐type, all three reducing disease by 54%. T. viride was most effective against the R‐type, reducing disease by 64%.