Scientific Papers

Many farmers worldwide rely on using pesticides and fungicides to protect their crops, which can be harmful and unsustainable. Professor Peter G Kevan, Dr Les Shipp and Professor Vernon G Thomas are exploring the potential of using pollinators as biovectors as a viable alternative of the infection process in the target host), bee vectoring of microbial agents must be applied early.

Greenhouse cage trials were conducted to assess the effectiveness of bumble bee pollinators for the covectoring of two fungi (Beauveria bassiana [Balsamo] Vuillemin [BotaniGard 22WP formulation] and Clonostachys rosea Lnk: Fr. [Endofine]), in greenhouse tomato and sweet pepper for control of insect pests (greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum Westwood; and tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris [Palisot de Beauvois]), and grey mould (Botrytis cinerea Pers: Fr.)…The incidence of grey mould in sweet pepper and tomatoes treated with the heat-inactivated inoculum or no inoculum (control) was approximately 80% on the flowers and leaves. Thus, the combined inoculum of B. bassiana and C. rosea can potentially control T. vaporariorum and L. lineolaris, and suppress grey mould in greenhouse tomatoes and sweet peppers, when vectored simultaneously by bumble bees.

Gray mold, caused by Botrytis cinerea, is an important strawberry disease in Brazil. As a component of a disease management program, we have been evaluating pathogen biological control with Clonostachys rosea, and selected four isolates as potential antagonists to B. cinerea. In 2006 and 2007, under field conditions, we compared the efficiency of the four C. rosea isolates (applied once or twice a week) with a weekly spray of procymidone alternated with captan in controlling gray mold…Based on this 2-year study, at least two weekly applications of C. rosea are required for a successful gray mold management program.

The ability of Clonostachys rosea to establish and persist in deleafed tomato stems and to suppress sporulation potential of Botrytis cinerea was investigated in plots of hydroponi c tomatoes in commercial greenhouses. Leaves near lower fruit clusters were removed according to standard practice and deleafed portions of the stems were treated with C. rosea, iprodione or water. Inoculum of B. cinerea was from natural infections…We conclude that C. rosea persisted and suppressed sporulation potential of B. cinerea in deleafed tomato stems for at least 11 weeks after application.

This article attempts to provide a broad overview of G. roseum and insights into the roles of this remarkable fungus in natural systems, in crops, and as a biological control agent.