Factors affecting the efficacy of the leaf-spot fungus Mycosphaerella polygoni-cuspidati (Ascomycota): A potential classical biological control agent of the invasive alien weed Fallopia japonica (Polygonaceae) in the UK |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Natural Resources Inventory Center, National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8604, Japan;2. CABI Europe-UK, Egham, Surrey TW20 9TY, UK;3. Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan;1. Department of Entomology and Nematology, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, P.O. Box 6, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel;2. Department of Ornamental Horticulture, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, P.O. Box 6, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel;3. Eden Experimental Farm, Bet Shean Valley 11710, Israel;1. Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV), Quinta do Marquês, 2780-159 Oeiras, Portugal;2. Centro de Estudos Florestais (CEF), Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal;1. Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, P.O. Box 94, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa;2. School of Biology, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom;3. Department of Botany, Rhodes University, P.O. Box 94, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa;1. USDA-ARS-Foreign Disease-Weed Science Research Unit, 1301 Ditto Avenue, Ft. Detrick, MD 21702-5023, USA;2. School of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece;3. USDA-ARS-European Biological Control Laboratory, Tsimiski 43, 7th Floor, GR 54623 Thessaloniki, Greece;4. All-Russia Research Institute for Biological Means of Plant Protection, 350039 Krasnodar, p/d 39, Russia;5. All-Russia Research Phytopathology Institute, VNIIF, B. Vazemy, 143050 Moscow Region, Russia;1. School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa;2. DST-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa;1. Biometris, Department of Mathematical and Statistical Methods, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands;2. Farming Systems Ecology, Department of Plant Sciences, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands;3. Crop Systems Analysis Group, Department of Plant Sciences, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands;4. Institute of Entomology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China;5. Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China |
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| Abstract: | Fallopia japonica, commonly known as Japanese knotweed, is an increasingly serious invasive alien weed in the UK and large parts of mainland Europe, as well as in North America. There is an urgent need to include classical biological control (CBC) into any integrated pest management strategy. The leaf-spot pathogen Mycosphaerella polygoni-cuspidati, a coevolved natural enemy of F. japonica present throughout its native Japanese range, is considered to have high potential as a CBC agent. In this study, the disease development of M. polygoni-cuspidati in the field and the optimum infection parameters under controlled conditions were investigated to elucidate the pathogen’s potential biocontrol efficacy against Japanese knotweed. Field observation in Japan showed that M. polygoni-cuspidati caused severe damage to its host plant. When sentinel knotweed plants from the UK were placed amongst naturally-infected field populations of F. japonica, disease incidence and severity were highest in July when monthly precipitation was also highest. In greenhouse inoculation tests, F. japonica was shown to be most susceptible at the young leaf stage (7–12 days after opening). Disease severity was highest after an initial dew period of 42–48 h, and severe defoliation followed inoculation at a temperature range of 15–25 °C. The optimum post-inoculation temperature after dew treatment for disease severity was 20–25 °C. In field inoculation tests, high disease incidence and severity indicate that the pathogen has the potential to control the plant effectively in the field. Humidity and temperature were shown to be the main factors influencing disease expression and lesion development of M. polygoni-cuspidati in a field situation. These results provide valuable information for any future use of M. polygoni-cuspidati as a CBC agent for management of Japanese knotweed in the UK. |
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| Keywords: | Japanese knotweed Sentinel plants Disease incidence and severity Infection parameters |
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