Pablo Martínez-Álvarez , Fernando Manuel Alves-Santos, Julio Javier Diez

In vitro and in vivo interactions between Trichoderma viride and Fusarium circinatum

Martínez-Álvarez P., Alves-Santos F. M., Diez J. J. (2012). In vitro and in vivo interactions between Trichoderma viride and Fusarium circinatum. Silva Fennica vol. 46 no. 3 article id 42. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.42

Abstract

Fusarium circinatum, a fungus that causes pitch canker disease, has been present in Europe since at least 2003, when it was detected in northern Spain and found to be producing severe damage in tree nurseries and pine plantations. In this study, we tested a method of biological control of the disease with Trichoderma viride, a fungal species successfully used against many other pathogens. In vitro and in vivo assays were carried out to test the efficacy of this antagonist in controlling F. circinatum. The T. viride isolate exerted a significant effect on the growth of F. circinatum in the in vitro assay, reducing the length of the pathogen colony by half. However, although we tested three different concentrations of the T. viride spore solution, no clear conclusions were obtained with regard to the effects on the Pinus radiata seedlings. To our knowledge, this is the first study carried out with the aim of using Trichoderma spp. to control pitch canker disease.

Keywords
pitch canker; antagonism; biocontrol; biological control agents; endophytes; Pinus radiata; Spain

Received 18 November 2011 Accepted 20 June 2012 Published 31 December 2012

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