The effect of biofungicide Mycostop on Ceratocystis radicicola, the causal agent of black scorch on date palm

• Published in: BioControl (Dordrecht, Netherlands) Netherlands), 2002-04, Vol.47 (2), p.207-216
• Main Authors: Suleman, P, AL-Musallam, A, Menezes, C.A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ceratocystis; Effectiveness; Germination; Inoculum; Inoculum potential; Nurseries; Scorch; Sodium chloride; Soil treatment; Soils; Spore germination
• ISSN: 1386-6141; 1573-8248
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1014519726573

In vitro studies were conducted to assess the efficacy of the biofungicide Mycostop on the fungus Ceratocystis radicicola (= Ceratostomella radicicola), which causes black scorch on date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) and the effect salinity on the growth of Streptomyces griseoviridis, the activecomponent of Mycostop. C. radicicola wasisolated from roots of diseased date palm inlandscape settings, nurseries, andplantations. In vitro, the effectiveconcentration (EC50) of Mycostop thatreduced the mycelial growth by 50% was 0.35 g/l of PDA. Mycostop at the rate of 0.35 g/lor greater reduced spore germination,plasmolyzed germlings and reduced sporulationof C. radicicola. In essence it reducedthe inoculum potential of C. radicicola. In sterile soil treated with Mycostop, rootpieces of date palm inoculated with C.radicicola were less necrotic than those inuntreated soil. Streptomycesgriseoviridis in Mycostop did not grow on PDAamended with 5.0% NaCl (−4.28 MPa), but thenumber of colony formed units on PDA amendedwith 1.0 to 4.0% NaCl was not significantlydifferent from a factor that was considered ifMycostop is to be used to manage black scorchin Kuwait. The observations showed the effectsof Mycostop on C. radicicola inlaboratory studies but its efficacy on blackscorch disease of date palms in nurseries andplantations is yet to be determined.