Isolation and identification of fungi with bio-herbicidal activity in Cyperus rotundus

Resumen

Objective: to isolate and to identify selected fungi with bio-herbicidal potential in Cyperus rotundus.

Design/ Methodology/ Approach: for this research we collected Cyperus spp. plants in four sites of the municipalities Cárdenas and Huimanguillo (Tabasco) Mexico. From various tissues of healthy and diseased plants of Cyperus, different strains of fungi were isolated for morphological and molecular characterization. They were then identified through the ITS (Internal Transcribed Spacer) region. Some fungi that were isolated from diseased plants were selected to perform some pathogenicity and severity tests on seedlings of C. rotundus

Results: nine genera of fungi were isolated and associated with diseased and healthy plants of Cyperus spp. Only Fusarium, Curvularia and Pestalotiopsis were pathogenic in seedlings of Cyperus rotundus. These three genera of fungi caused different degrees of symptomatology and severity of damage on C. rotundus.

Limitations/ Implications of the study: infrastructure and climate variables in the greenhouse could affect the variables evaluated. One clear limitation is found in the high costs of performing the complete molecular identification of selected fungi up to the taxonomic level of species.

Findings/ Conclusions: this study provided evidence on the bio-herbicidal potential of fungi from genera Fusarium, Curvularia and Pestalotiopsis in seedlings of C. rotundus, However, more detailed studies are required on determining the range of hosts; on the combinations of these fungi, both of spores and extracts; and on the effect on sexual or asexual propagation of different species of Cyperus. As well as to evaluate the effect on wild plants considered weeds, and cultivated plants in order to test their full potential as bio-herbicide.