Journal
PLANTS-BASEL
Volume 9, Issue 12, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/plants9121682
Keywords
Calonectria; Fusarium and Rhizoctonia species; disease control; fungicides; microbiological formulates
Categories
Funding
- 'Programma Ricerca di Ateneo UNICT 2020-2022 linea 2-University of Catania (Italy)
- STARTING GRANT 2020-University of Catania (Italy)
- Fondi di Ateneo 2020-2022-University of Catania (Italy)
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This research evaluates biological control agents (BCAs) and fungicide alone and in combination for the management of decline caused by multiple fungi on milkwort (Polygala myrtifolia). Four experiments were performed in a greenhouse within a nursery located in Catania province (southern Italy). The activity of fungicides and biological control agents was evaluated by calculating the plant mortality (%) and recovery frequency (%) of different fungi associated with symptomatic tissue. Comprehensively, boscalid + pyraclostrobin and fosetyl-Al showed the best results in managing disease complex on milkwort. Biological control agents provided, on average, the lowest performances; nevertheless, in most cases, they were able to significantly reduce multiple infections and sometimes when combined with fungicide enhanced the effectiveness. The molecular analysis of 86 isolates obtained from symptomatic tissue allowed to identify the fungi involved in the disease as Calonectria pauciramosa, C. pseudomexicana, Fusarium oxysporum, Neocosmospora solani (syn. F. solani) and binucleate Rhizoctonia AG-R. Calonectria pseudomexicana never reported on milkwort and in Europe was inoculated on P. myrtifolia potted healthy cuttings and produced crown and root rot after 40 days. Our findings represent the first worldwide report about disease complex of milkwort caused by several fungi (Calonectria spp., Fusarium spp. and binucleate Rhizoctonia) and on the effects of integrated control strategies to manage this disease in the nursery.
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