Preliminary Screening of Isolated Mycoherbicidal Fungi for the Management of Noxious Weed Xanthium strumarium

Mycoherbicidal Fungi for the management Xanthium strumarium

Abstract

Natural phytotoxins of fungi are great source for the discovery of new herbicide and its offer a benign and eco-friendly alternative to manage weed. Thus, this study aimed to select potential fungi with potent herbicidal activity for control ofweeds. In the present study, various phytopathogenic fungi were isolated from infected tissues of various weeds and evaluated againstXanthium strumarium, a problematic monocotyledonous weed of open lands, agriculture, horticulture and forests. Herbicidal potential of Cell Free Culture Filtrate (CFCF) of strains ofPhoma herbarum (FGCCW#18, FGCCW#43) Fusariummonilifromecoded as FGCCW#35 and Fusarium roseum coded as FGCCW#55againstXanthium strumariumwere evaluated by seedling and shoot cut bioassays. Maximum mortalities of shoots, seedlings and phytotoxic damage were obtainedfrom28 day sold cell free culture filtrate (CFCF) of FGCCW#18 at 100% concentration. Significant reduction in biological contents i.e. photosynthetic pigment and protein was observed in the host weed on treatment with the CFCF as determined by detached leaf bioassay. Phytotoxic damage such as severe wilting, chlorosis, necrosis and complete collapse of the entire parts of the weed were also noticed due to CFCF application.

Keywords: Bioassay, Cell free culture filtrate, Mycoherbicide, Xanthium strumarium, Phytotoxicity.