Potential of a Pathogen, Mycoleptodiscus Terrestris, as a Biocontrol Agent forthe Management of Myriophyllum Spicatum in Lake Guntersville Reservoir

摘要

The use of classical biocontrol techniques for milfoil management was not aviable option when the Joint Agency Guntersville Project sponsored by the Tennessee Valley Authority and Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began. No host specific insects had been approved for release, and overseas searches for pathogens had not yet been initiated. A microbial biocontrol strategy, the inundative method, utilizing an endemic plant pathogen, Mycoleptodiscus terrestris (Gerd.) Ostazeski (Mt), known to be a parasite on milfoil, was proposed. Introduction of microbes for biological control purposes against nuisance pest populations is strictly regulated by individual State agencies and two Federal agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Agriculture Protection Health Inspection Service. The use of a pathogen that is known to be endemic within a State lessens the fear associated with introducing a microbe into a new area. Surveys were conducted on Lake Guntersville Reservoir to provide documentation on pathogens of milfoil to facilitate the permitting process from State and Federal agencies.