Evaluation of micro-organisms for biocontrol of grey mould on lettuce

摘要

A range of micro-organisms, including saprophytic yeasts, bacteria and fungi, were evaluated for control of Botrytis grey mould on whole lettuce plants. In a controlled environment (18-22 deg C, 85-90 percent relative humidity and 12 h photoperiod),lettuce leaves were spray inoculated with antagonists (10~7 fungal spores/cells/ml or 10~8 bacterial cells/ml), allowed to dry and challenged by spray inoculation with the pathogen (10~6 spores/ml). After 7 days, the mean Botrytis lesion areas were assessed. Four fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. (isolates LC8, PF13, PF14 and PF15) significantly reduced lesion areas by an average of 79 percent on whole lettuce pi ants in two experiments. An Ulocladium sp. (U13) and an Epicoccum sp. (E21) significantly reduced lesion areas by 94 percent and 78 percent respectively in one of two experiments.