In vitro and vivo antagonism of pathogenic turfgrass fungi by Streptomyces hygroscopicus strains YCED9 and WYE53

• Published in: Journal of industrial microbiology & biotechnology 1999-07, Vol.23 (1), p.641-646
• Main Authors: Chamberlain, K, Crawford, D.L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antibiotics; Bioassays; Biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Biological control; Biotechnology; Control; Disease prevention; Environmental conditions; Experiments; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; fungal antagonists; Fungal plant pathogens; Fungi; Fungi - drug effects; Fungi - growth & development; Fungicides; Fusarium oxysporum; Gaeumannomyces graminis; Growth chambers; Microdochium nivale; Molecular biology; Pathogens; Pest Control, Biological - methods; Pesticides; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; Plant Diseases - microbiology; plant pathogenic fungi; Poaceae; Prevention; Pythium ultimum; Rhizoctonia solani; Sclerotinia homeocarpa; Seedlings; Streptomyces - metabolism; Streptomyces hygroscopicus; Studies; Turf; Turfgrasses
• ISSN: 1367-5435; 1476-5535
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.jim.2900671

Disease prevention is a current practice used to minimize fungal diseases of turfgrasses in lawns and golf greens. Prevention is accomplished through fungicide applications, and by periodic thatch removal. During the development of a microbial biodethatch product utilizing the lignocellulose-degrading Streptomyces hygroscopicus strains YCED9 and WYE53, we demonstrated using in vitro plate antagonism bioassays that both strains are antagonists of various turfgrass fungal pathogens. These activities were present when the cultures were growing on thatch, as demonstrated by antifungal antagonism bioassays with culture filtrates. Experiments conducted using a growth chamber demonstrated that a bio-dethatch formulation containing spores of strains YCED9 and WYE53 in a zeolite carrier, provided protection for Kentucky bluegrass seedlings against turfgrass pathogens, including Pythium ultimum, Fusarium oxysporum, Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotinia homeocarpa, Gaeumannomyces graminis and Microdochium nivale. Results showed that by integrating the use of the S. hygroscopicus YCED9/WYE53 bio-dethatch formulation into routine turf management practices, it should be possible to both minimize thatch build-up while also controlling fungal turfgrass diseases by way of the antifungal biocontrol activity of these strains. This in turn would help control fungal pathogens in turfgrass while minimizing the need for routine chemical fungicide applications.