Book of Abstracts (PDF) - International Mycological Association

IMC7 Tuesday August 13th Lectures
114 - Risk assessment of fungal biocontrol agents - How
can RAFBCA help?
T.M. Butt 1* , H. Strasser 2 & G. Tomimatsu 3
1 1. School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales
Swansea, Singleton Park, SA2 8PP, U.K. - 2 2. Institute of
Microbiology, Leopold Franzens University Innsbruck,
Technikerstrasse 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria. - 3 3. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Pesticide
Programs/Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention,
Arlington, VA 22202, U.S.A. - E-mail:
t.butt@swansea.ac.uk
Fungal biocontrol agents (BCAs) secrete a wide range of
metabolites. Many have been shown to play an important
role in pathogenesis-antagonism and the successful control
of the target organism. Current registration procedures for
products that purport biocontrol of plant pests and diseases
require risk characterization and evaluation of known, and
potential exposures to human health and nontarget
organisms in the environment. Evaluation of all the
metabolites produced by BCAs would be expensive and
time-consuming. One of the objectives of the EU-funded
RAFBCA project is to develop the methods and tools to
assess the risks of fungal BCA metabolites. This paper will
describe: (1) some of the methods and tools being
developed for high throughput analysis such as biosensors,
and microtitre plate assays and (2) studies that show that
the quantities of secondary metabolites produced by fungi
in-vivo are usually much less than those secreted in
nutrient rich liquid media. Additionally, information on
intra-species and inter-species variability in the production
of selected metabolites will be provided, as well as data on
the spatial-temporal distribution of fungal metabolites.
Furthermore, strategies will be presented which could
standardise the risk assessment of fungal BCAs.
115 - Molecular approaches to studying fungal
interactions in relation to biocontrol
M. Lorito 1* , M. Ruocco 1 , D. Piacenti 1 , R. Ciliento 1 , Z.X.
Lu 2 , F. Scala 1 , A. Zoina 1 , J.K. Jansson 2 & S. Woo 1
1 Department of Plant Pathology, University of Naples, Via
Università, 100, 80050 Portici, Italy. - 2 Department of
Plant Pathology, Plant Pathology and Biocontrol Unit,
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala,
Sweden. - E-mail: lorito@unina.it
Trichoderma-based biofungicides are a reality in
commercial agriculture, although they represent only a
niche market in comparison to that of chemicals. However,
more than a dozen formulations are available today as
registered products in the USA and Europe, and the
application of these biocontrol agents, both as biopesticides
or biofertilizers, is steadily increasing also in organic
farming. The modes of action of these beneficial fungi are
many and very complex. Therefore several research
strategies, also at a molecular and gene level, have been
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applied to identify the main genes and compounds involved
in this complex, three-way interaction among the
antagonist, plant and pathogen. We have used different
reporter systems and genetic manipulation to identify
molecules that are involved in the cross-talk between
Trichoderma and its host, and have found opportunities for
developing new disease control methods. In addition, we
have been able to monitor the interaction in vivo and in situ
between Trichoderma and its host and correlate the
occurrence of mycoparasitism to the biocontrol effect.
116 - Weed biocontrol by fungal plant pathogens -
research approaches and practical application
M. Vurro
Institute of Sciences of Food Productions, Viale Einaudi,
51 - 70125, Bari, Italy. - E-mail: ma.vurro@area.ba.cnr.it
Weeds are among the major pest constraints for many
human activities, and their management represents the
major cost of agriculture. Pathogens that infect weeds have
been considered to partially replace traditional control
methods, using two main approaches, the classic and the
inundative method, but their success has been quite limited.
The best results are mainly against alien weeds of pasture
or forest, but also some mycoherbicides are available as
commercial products. In despite of the partial success, in
the last years some argumentations have further risen the
interest in weed biocontrol, e.g.: increased consumption of
organic products, ban of dangerous herbicides, lack of
registered herbicides for niche crops, forbidden use of
chemicals in anthropical environments (parks,
archeological sites), resistance. To not disappoint these
expectations, more efficacious agents are needed. Different
strategies could be used to enhance effectiveness of fungal
pathogens, including formulations, distribution systems
(precision agriculture), selection of better characters and
genetic enhancement, or integrated approaches, as mixing
fungal pathogens, combining bacteria or bioactive
metabolites with fungal pathogens, or managing traditional
and biological methods. The presentation will focus mainly
on the different strategies of weed biocontrol using fungal
plant pathogens and will discuss the possibilities to
improve the herbicidal properties of weed pathogens.
117 - Xerophilic fungi, a physiological wonder
J.I. Pitt
Book of Abstracts
Food Science Australia, P.O. Box 52, North Ryde, NSW
1670, Australia. - E-mail: John.Pitt@csiro.au
Xerophilic fungi are defined as those that can grow below a
water activity of 0.85, which means the ability to grow in
60% glucose, 45% glycerol or 20% NaCl - all (w/w). Few
organisms on earth, other than halophilic bacteria, are able
to grow under these conditions. To grow at reduced water
activities, microorganisms must balance the external