Evaluation of Alternaria alternata ITCC4896 for use as mycoherbicide to control Parthenium hysterophorus |
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Authors: | Sanjai Saxena Mukesh Kumar |
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Affiliation: | 1. Department of Biotechnology &2. Environmental Sciences , Thapar University , Patiala, Punjab, 147004, India sanjaibiotech@yahoo.com ssaxena@tiet.ac.in;4. Environmental Sciences , Thapar University , Patiala, Punjab, 147004, India |
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Abstract: | Mycoherbicides are specialty biotechnology products which employ the use of fungi or fungal metabolites as non-chemical alternatives, thereby reducing the input of harmful chemicals to control noxious weeds. The present communication emphasises the potential of an indigenous isolate of Alternaria alternata ITCC 4896 as a mycoherbicide for the global weed Parthenium hysterophorus. Of the various spore concentrations tested by in vitro detached leaf bioassay, 1 × 106 spores/ml was the most effective, inducing 89.2% leaf area damage on the seventh day and was further tested by the whole plant bioassay. Both in vitro detached leaf assay and whole plant bioassay exhibited a similar trend in disease development, exhibiting 50% damage at 96 hours post-treatment. However, 100% mortality was observed in the whole plant bioassay on the seventh day. This is the very first report on the bioweedicidal potential of Alternaria alternata ITCC 4896 (LC#508) for use as a mycoherbicide for Parthenium hysterophorus. |
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Keywords: | Alternaria alternata fungi mycoherbicide Parthenium hysterophorus pathogenicity bioweedicide |
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