engleski

The role of weeds as hosts of fungal pathogens

Numerous weed species could be alternative hosts and can play an important role in the survival and spread of many fungal pathogens. Weed plants were collected during a 15 year period (1996-2010) in sites of Eastern Croatia. From 63 weed species 109 fungal species were isolated. The most important goals of our research were to determine pathogenicity of isolates originated from weeds to cultivated plants and to assess potential of Fusarium graminearum isolates to produce DON. Previous researches found out that isolates from weeds can be pathogenic to cultivated plants. In order to determine pathogenicity of some very important plant pathogens the following fungi were selected: Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium subglutinans, and the following tests were performed: 1. testing of pathogenicity of S. sclerotiorum isolates from Abutilon theophrasti and Ambrosia artemisiifolia for sunflower and soybean 2. testing of pathogenicity of F. graminearum from Capsella bursa-pastoris, Urtica dioica, Amaranthus hybridus, Sorghum halepense and Lamium purpureum for wheat seedlings and ears 3. testing of pathogenicity of F. subglutinans from Convolvulus arvensis, Cirsium arvense, Tripleurospermum inodorum, A. theophrasti, Polygonum lapathifolium and A. artemisiifolia for popcorn seedlings. Results of our research showed that isolates from weeds could be equally or even more pathogenic to cultivated plants compared to isolates from cultivated plants themselves. Also, all F. graminearum isolates from weeds produced DON. Research of mycological population of weeds in Eastern Croatia broadened our knowledge on biodiversity of fungal species on weeds and their importance as hosts for disease pathogens.

fungi ; weeds ; cultivated plants ; pathogenicity

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