Mycofumigation with Muscodor albus and Muscodor roseus for Control of Seedling Diseases of Sugar Beet and Verticillium Wilt of Eggplant

Mycofumigation is the use of antimicrobial volatiles produced by fungi such as Muscodor albusitalic and M. roseus for the control of other organisms. Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) stand establishment was increased and disease severity decreased by mycofumigation with M. roseus and M. albus in autoclaved soil infested with Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium ultimum, or Aphanomyces cochlioides. Eggplant seedlings (Solanum melongena L.) transplanted into autoclaved soil infested with Verticillium dahliae and mycofumigated with M. albus and M. roseus had significantly less disease (P < 0.05) after 4 and 5 weeks compared with nonmycofumigated Verticillium-infested soil. The effect of formulation on efficacy of mycofumigation with M. roseus was tested using potato dextrose agar strips, alginate capsules, ground barley, pesta granules, and stabileze granules. The stabileze and ground barley formulations of M. roseus resulted in the best control of P. ultimum damping-off. The best control of A. cochlioides damping-off was with the stabileze formulation, and the stabileze, ground barley, and agar strip formulations provided similar control of R. solani damping-off. In soil infested with P. ultimum, mycofumigation with M. albus stabileze formulation resulted in stand establishment similar to that in the autoclaved soil. Mycofumigation was ineffective in controlling Fusarium wilt of sugar beet. Neither M. albus nor M. roseus affected sugar beet or eggplant growth or appearance except in the stabileze formulation, where stunting was noticed. Mycofumigation with M. albus and M. roseus shows promise for control of soilborne diseases caused by P. ultimum, A. cochlioides, R. solani, and V. dahliae.