Citation
Ahmad, Azean
(2004)
Potential of Exserohilum Longirostratum Bioherbicide for Rottboellia Cochinchinensis.
Masters thesis, Universiti Putra Malaysia.
Abstract
Development of Exserohilum longirostratum as a potential bioherbicide for controlling
itchgrass (Rottboellia cochinchinensis) was investigated in ths study. An isolate of
inhgenous fungus E. longirostratum was isolated from diseased R cochinchinensis in
Serdang, Selangor and was evaluated in the laboratory and greenhouse as a potential
bioherbicide. Ths fungus was found to be hghly pathogenic to R cochinchinensis
when the seedlings were inoculated with 3.5 X 10' conididml. The disease symptom
appeared 24 h after inoculation as Qscrete eyespot symptoms with watery dark border,
which was eventually associated with extensive necrosis on the leaves. The lesions did
not coalesce, but the leaves and entire plants turned completely necrotic and died. The
fungus grew and sporulated well on Potato dextrose agar (PDA) and V8 agar with
optimum temperature for growth of 28°C. Although most of Exserohilum spp were
reported as host to member of Poaceae, but E.longirostratum has a narrow host range,
which include several weedy grass. Corn, rice and sugarcane showed resistant reaction
while dicots were immune. The pathogen penetrated plant surfaces by direct penetration
through formation of appressoria on surfaces of R. cochinchinensis 8 h post inoculation.
The appresorium being usually bulbous or cylindrical often ends with the formation of
extensive secondary hyphae. The fungus penetrated the cuticle cell wall and grew intra
and intercellularly within the tissues. Extensive secondary hyhpae were produced within
32 h on R. cochinchinensis leaves, thus indicating that the fungus was able to establish
parasitic relationship with the host. On corn leaves, the fungus grew and penetrate the
leaf surface. The fungus did not produce extensive hyphae in corn tissue but were
compartmentalized at the point of infection indicating resistant reaction. The fungus
grew on bean leaves but could not penetrate the cell wall on bean as indicated by lysing
of the conidia and germs tubes 8 h post inoculation. The inability of the germinating
conidia to penetrate and to progress indicated that bean is not a compatible host for this
fungus. The level of disease severity on R. cochinchinensis was linearly related to the
conidial concentration of E. longirostratum with conidia concentration higher than lo4
conidia per mililiter resulted in 100% control of the seedlings. The most susceptible age
of R. cochinchinensis were 2- to 8- leaf stage. E. longirostratum, required a minimum of
8 h of dew to infect R. cochinchinensis. Such long dew duration could be constraint to
the use of this bioherbicide in the field. However, this constraint may be circumvented
by adding amendments to the formulation. Thus, the potential of E. longirostratum to
be used as a bioherbicide to control R. cochinchinensis was demonstrated.
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