title: Mycoherbicidal Potential of Phaeoacremonium italicum, A New Pathogen of Eichhornia crassipes Infesting Harike Wetland, India.
abstract: Mycoherbicides are exclusive biotechnology products which offer a non-chemical solution to control noxious weeds on the land as well as aquatic in systems, viz a viz saving environment from hazardous impact of synthetic chemicals. The present paper highlights the mycobiota associated with Eichhornia crassipes infesting Harike wetland area of Punjab and evaluation of their pathogenic potential for futuristic application as a mycoherbicide. Of the 20 isolates tested by leaf detached assay and whole plant bioassays, only one isolate (#8 BJSSL) caused 100% damage to E. crassipes. Further, the culture filtrate of this isolate also exhibited a similar damage to the leaves in an in vitro detached leaf assay. The potential isolate was identified as Phaeoacremonium italicum using classical and modern molecular methods. This is the first report of P. italicum as a pathogen of E. crassipes and of its potential use as a biological control agent for the management of water hyacinth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, Thapar University, Patiala, Punjab 147004, India.
authors.forename: Birinderjit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Thapar University, Patiala, Punjab 147004, India.
authors.forename: Sanjai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saxena
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Thapar University, Patiala, Punjab 147004, India.
authors.forename: Vineet
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Meshram
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, Thapar University, Patiala, Punjab 147004, India.
authors.forename: Maneek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kumar
keywords: Fungi; Mycoherbicides; Plant pathogen; Ramasar site; Weeds; β-Tubulin