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Biofumigation- A New Potential Option in Nursery Pest Management

We recently became aware of several technical articles on a new technology that might have real applications in both container and bareroot nurseries. A naturallyoccurring fungus species (Muscodor albus) was recently discovered on a cinnamon tree in a botanical garden in Honduras (Strobel 2006). Another member of the genus (M roseus) has also been identified. Clinical trials demonstrate that cultures of these fungi generate a gaseous mixture of bioactive volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These VOCs have been shown to be lethal to a wide variety of plant and human pathogenic fungi (Table 1), as well as some bacteria, nematodes, and insects. Although the fungi tested may not be the same species that attack nursery crops, they are very closely related to common nursery pathogens


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Author(s): Thomas D. Landis, Nabil Khadduri

Publication: Forest Nursery Notes - 2007 Summer