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Title: IN VITRO ASSESSMENTS OF DIVERSE PLANT PATHOGENIC FUNGI TREATED WITH A NOVEL GROWTH CONTROL AGENT

Author
item Yates, Ida
item Arnold, Judy
item Bacon, Charles
item Hinton, Dorothy

Submitted to: Crop Protection
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/26/2004
Publication Date: 12/1/2004
Citation: Yates, I.E., Arnold, J.W., Bacon, C.W., Hinton, D.M. 2004. In vitro assessments of diverse plant pathogenic fungi treated with a novel growth control agent. Crop Protection 23:1169-1176.

Interpretive Summary: Alternative control measures are needed to synthetic pesticides because of the harm caused to the environment. Natural substances were used as controls by early agriculturalists. Our previous research demonstrated an agent with a naturally occurring substance, iodine, inhibited Fusarium verticillioides conidia growth and rot of F. verticillioides-inoculated maize seed. The purpose of the current research was to analyze the effect of this agent on F. verticillioides collected from other geographic locations and host plants, as well as, fungi pathogenic to crop plants such as citrus and grapes. Such a pesticide would be novel as iodine-based agrochemicals have not been used for fungal control, even though iodine is an approved additive in human foods. The results demonstrated that all isolates of F. verticillioides, regardless of geographic or host origin, and fungi pathogenic to a diverse array of crops, such as citrus and grapes, were sensitive to the test compound. In conclusion, a pesticide developed with an iodine-containing active ingredient could be an effective control for many fungal pathogens.

Technical Abstract: The efficacy of an agent with an iodine-based active ingredient (a. i.) was evaluated for controlling the growth of fungi pathogenic to many different food crops. The agent would be a novel pesticide because iodine-based agrochemicals have not been used for fungal control, even though iodine is a necessary mineral for mammals and is an approved food additive. Conidia were analyzed for about 50 isolates of Fusarium verticillioides, a fungus causing diseases on maize and producing mycotoxins harmful to animals and humans. Isolates that were analyzed were from a diversity of states within the United States, countries outside the United States, plant hosts, and mating types. The mating types included A+, A-, D+, D-, E+, E-, F+, and F-. The hosts included both monocot and dicot plants, corn, peanut, sorghum, cotton, millet, and banana. The results indicate that all isolates of F. verticillioides regardless of the geographic or host origin and mating are sensitive to the test compound at 10 l/ml or less. In addition to F. verticillioides, mycelial growth was inhibited for various fungal genera pathogenic to both monocot and dicot crops. In conclusion, a pesticide developed with an iodine-containing active ingredient could be an effective control for many fungal pathogens