Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-cphqk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-14T00:00:42.438Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Herbicidal spectrum and activity of Myrothecium verrucaria

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Kathleen I. Anderson  and
Steven G. Hallett
Kathleen I. Anderson
Affiliation:
Department of Botany & Plant Pathology, Purdue University, 915 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1155
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Myrothecium verrucaria, isolated from sicklepod, was investigated for bioherbicide potential against a wide range of economically important weed species from agronomic, pasture, and horticultural systems. A number of different weed species from a range of plant families were highly susceptible to sprays of crude preparations of the fungus. A small number of species, primarily monocots, were tolerant, showing no damage symptoms or insignificant effects on biomass. Symptoms developed very rapidly in susceptible hosts, suggesting the activity of toxins, several of which are known to be produced by Myrothecium spp. The activity of crude harvests of M. verrucaria was not diminished when they were filtered to remove fungal mycelium and spores. In contrast, washed conidia had relatively little impact on weed species. We conclude that the activity of M. verrucaria is primarily caused by the activity of metabolites produced by the fungus in culture and not due to infection by the fungus per se. Myrothecium verrucaria cultural preparations have extremely potent herbicidal properties, but given its ability to produce mammalian toxins, we caution against its use.

Keywords

Myrothecium verrucaria (Alb. & Schwein.) Ditmar: Fr. (Hyphomycetes)sicklepod, Cassia obtusifolia L. CASOBBiological controlbioherbicidesphytotoxincytotoxinmacrocyclic tricothecene
Type
Weed Management
Information
Weed Science , Volume 52 , Issue 4 , August 2004 , pp. 623 - 627
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Literature Cited

Abbas, H. K., Johnson, B. B., Shier, W. T., Tak, H., Jarvis, B. B., and Boyette, C. D. 2002. Phytotoxicity and mammalian toxicity of macrocyclic tricothecene mycotoxins from Myrothecium verrucaria . Phytochemistry 59:309–313.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Abbas, H. K., Tak, H., Boyette, C. D., Shier, W. T., and Jarvis, B. B. 2001. Macrocyclic tricothecenes are undetectable in kudzu (Puereria montana) plants treated with a high-producing isolate of Myrothecium verrucaria . Phytochemistry 58:269–276.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Amsellem, Z., Barghouthi, S., and Cohen, B. et al. 2001. Recent advances in the biocontrol of Orobanche (broomrape) species. BioControl 46:211–228.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bourdot, G. W., De Jong, M. D., and Shamoun, S. E. 2000. Wide host-range pathogens as potential bioherbicides: risk analysis. Page 181 in Abstracts, 3rd International Weed Science Congress. Brazil: Foz do Iguacu.Google Scholar
Bourdot, G. W., Harvey, I. C., Hurrell, G. A., and Saville, D. J. 1995. Demographic and biomass production consequences of inundative treatment of Cirsium arvense with Sclerotinia sclerotiorum . Biocontrol Sci. Technol 5:11–25.Google Scholar
Boyette, C. D., Walker, H. L., and Abbas, H. K. 1999. Biological control of kudzu (Pueraria montana) with an endemic fungal pathogen. Proc. South. Weed Sci. Soc 52:237.Google Scholar
Brière, S. C., Hallett, S. G., and Watson, A. K. 2000. Oxalic acid production and mycelial biomass yield of Sclerotinia minor for the formulation enhancement of a granular turf bioherbicide. Biocontrol Sci. Technol 10:281–289.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Charudattan, R. 2001. Biological control of weeds by means of plant pathogens: significance for integrated weed management in modern agroecology. BioControl 46:229–260.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cherrington, C. A. and Elliott, L. F. 1987. Incidence of inhibitory pseudomonads in the Pacific Northwest. Plant Soil 101:159–165.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ciotola, M., Watson, A. K., and Hallett, S. G. 1996. Discovery of an isolate of Fusarium oxysporum with potential to control Striga hermonthica in Africa. Weed Res 35:303–309.Google Scholar
Cunfer, B. M., Graham, J. H., and Lukezic, F. L. 1969. Studies on the biology of Myrothecium roridum and M. verrucaria pathogenic on red clover. Phytopathology 59:1306–1309.Google Scholar
Davila, M., Acosta, N., Betancourt, C., and Negron, J. 1999. Chitinolytic capacity of fungi isolated from agricultural soils infested with the root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne spp.) in Puerto Rico. J. Agric. Univ. PR 83:189–199.Google Scholar
Domsch, K. H., Gams, W., and Anderson, T. H. 1980. Myrothecium . Pages 481–487 in Compendium of Soil Fungi. Volume 1. New York: Academic.Google Scholar
Faheid, S. M. M. and Murad, H. A. 1992. Utilization of polygalacturonase from Myrothecium verrucaria for maceration of orange pulp. Dtsch. Lebensm.-Rundsch 88:117–119.Google Scholar
Guo, J. A., Liang, X. X., Mo, P. S., and Li, G. X. 1991. Purification and properties of bilirubin oxidase from Myrothecium verrucaria . Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol 31:135–143.Google Scholar
Hoagland, R. E. 2001. Microbial allelochemicals and pathogens as bioherbicidal agents. Weed Technol 15:835–857.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Howell, C. R. and Stipanovic, R. D. 1984. Phytotoxicity to crop plants and herbicidal effects on weeds of viridiol produced by Gliocladium virens . Phytopathology 74:1346–1349.Google Scholar
Hutchinson, C. M. 1999. Trichoderma virens-inoculated composted chicken manure for biological weed control. Biol. Control 16:217–222.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Isaka, M., Punya, J., Lertwerawat, Y., Tanticharoen, M., and Thebtaranonth, Y. 1999. Antimalarial activity of macrocyclic tricothecenes isolated from the fungus Myrothecium verrucaria . J. Nat. Prod 62:329–331.Google Scholar
Jarvis, B. B., Pavanasasivam, G., and Bean, G. A. 1985. Mycotoxin production from Myrothecium species. Pages 221–231 in Lacey, J. ed. Tricothecenes and Other Mycotoxins. New York: J. Wiley.Google Scholar
Jones, R. W. and Hancock, J. G. 1987. Conversion of viridin to viridiol by viridin-producing fungi. Can. J. Microbiol 33:963–966.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kremer, R. J. and Kennedy, A. C. 1996. Rhizobacteria as biocontrol agents of weeds. Weed Technol 10:601–609.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mendonsa, E. S., Vartak, P. H., Rao, J. U., and Deshpande, M. V. 1996. An enzyme from Myrothecium verrucaria that degrades insect cuticles for biocontrol of Aedes aegypti mosquito. Biotechnol. Lett 18:373–376.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mortimer, P. H., Campbell, J., DiMenna, M. E., and White, E. P. 1971. Experimental myrotheciotoxicosis and poisoning in ruminants by verrucarin A and roridin A. Res. Vet. Sci 12:508–515.Google Scholar
Murakami, Y., Okuda, T., and Shindo, K. 2001. Roridin L, M and verrucarin M, new macrocyclic tricothecene group antitumor antibiotics, from Myrothecium verrucaria . J. Antibiot 54:980–983.Google Scholar
Sands, D. C. and Miller, R. V. 1993. Altering the host range of mycoherbicides by genetic manipulation. ACS Symp. Ser 524:101–109.Google Scholar
Vaidya, R. J., Shah, I. M., Vyas, P. R., and Chhatpar, H. S. 2001. Production of chitinase and its optimization from a novel isolate Alcaligenes xylosoxydans: potential in antifungal biocontrol. World J. Microbiol. Biotechnol 17:691–696.Google Scholar
Walker, H. L. and Tilley, A. M. 1997. Evaluation of an isolate of Myrothecium verrucaria from sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia) as a potential mycoherbicide agent. Biol. Control 10:104–112.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Warrior, P., Rehberger, L. A., Beach, M., Grau, P. A., Kirfman, G. W., and Conley, J. M. 1999. Commercial development and introduction of DiTera R, a new nematicide. Pestic. Sci 55:376–379.Google Scholar
Yang, S-M. 1994. Control of Carduus acanthoides with Myrothecium verrucaria in the greenhouse in the absence of dew. Phytopathology 84:1136. [Abstract].Google Scholar
Yang, S-M., Dowler, W. M., and Johnson, D. R. 1991. Comparison of methods for selecting fungi pathogenic to leafy spurge. Plant Dis 75:1201–1203.Google Scholar
Yang, S-M. and Jong, S. C. 1995. Host range determination of Myrothecium verrucaria isolated from leafy spurge. Plant Dis 79:994–997.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhang, P. G., Sutton, J. C., and Hopkin, A. A. 1994. Evaluation of microorganisms for biocontrol of Botrytis cinerea in container-grown black spruce seedlings. Can. J. For. Res 24:1312–1316.CrossRefGoogle Scholar