Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC) comprises most relevant and most frequently cited pathogens for agricultural crops. Although it was shown that the complex consists of more than 60 species taxons, the identity of F. solani sensu stricto was revealed through epitypification on the basis of material collected and described from Slovenia. The comment by one of the peer-reviewer of the paper explains the importance of the contribution: »Despite its narrow focus, this is a major contribution to the taxonomy of Fusarium. The precise identity of Fusarium solani is one of the most important taxonomic problems in plant pathology, and this paper provides a plausible, nomenclaturally and taxonomically robust solution.« While this is a plant pathogen, strains of the species were shown to destructively parasitise nematode eggs in slide culture experiments.
COBISS.SI-ID: 5015912
The main aim of the research was to test a hypothesis that soil adapted beneficial fungi might have a greater biological activity against an important Brassicaceous pest, the cabbage root fly (CRF), than previously well-known entomopathogenic fungi. The experiments involved pathogenicity assessment of 18 insect-associated or potentially plant growth promoting fungal strains. Two kinds of experiments were performed: in-vitro laboratory assays and soil tests. The former enabled quick pathogenicity screening and the latter mimicked natural exposure pathways of the pest to the fungi. All isolates tested were infective to CRF. Importantly, the soil-adapted as well as plant growth promoting fungi achieved higher pathogenicity against CRF in soil bioassays as compared to in-vitro bioassays, thereby proving our hypothesis. The main achievement of the research was that we were able to prove that a selection of soil adapted fungi, previously unknown to exhibit pathogenic effects against CRF outperformed conventional, much tested, entomopathogenic fungi.
COBISS.SI-ID: 4503144
A plantlet inoculation method for applying biological control to protect cauliflower plants against cabbage root fly (CRF) was established. Pathogenicity of several insect- or soil-associated fungi against CRF was confirmed in in-vitro and glasshouse experiments. Additionally, rhizosphere competence of the tested fungi was assessed. We discovered that all tested fungi persisted on the cauliflower rhizoplane. More importantly, we were able to show that the added fungi were found also outside the original place of inoculation. These observations provided the evidence for concluding that our tested fungi, which were not known plant symbionts, could be transferred via or grow with the elongating roots. In addition to colonizing the rhizoplane, some fungi were found inside the plant root or stem tissue, thus exhibiting endophytic characteristics. We concluded that a biological control strategy involving young plantlet inoculation with selected fungi may be considered as an environmentally friendly alternative for CRF control especially in organic farming systems.
COBISS.SI-ID: 4476776
Clonostachys comprises species commonly occurring in soil and living plant hosts as endophytes, and on insects, nematodes, and other fungi as parasites. Certain species are used as biopesticides and are thus becoming important beneficial organisms in agricultural systems. The contribution reviews the species diversity in Clonostachys and adds new taxa from Brazil. As a student from the Department of Phytopathology, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Brazil, the first author of the paper visited the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia for 12 months for receiving training and performing PhD related research.
COBISS.SI-ID: 5221480
Results suggest that a tomato hybrid infected with pathogenic A. tumefaciens shows enhanced plant defense against M. ethiopica resulting in lower egg and gall counts on roots 45 and 90 days post inoculation (dpi). Pot experiments on tomato were designed to assess plant vitality, nematode reproduction and crown gall incidence in combined infection with Agrobacterium and Meloidogyne. Methods used here for evaluation of nematode infestation extent were developed within the here reported project.
COBISS.SI-ID: 5192552