February 25, 2010 — A
cocktail of compounds emitted by the beneficial fungus Muscodor albus may offer
a biologically based way to fumigate certain crops and rid them of destructive
pests.
February 25, 2010 — A
cocktail of compounds emitted by the beneficial fungus Muscodor albus may offer
a biologically based way to fumigate certain crops and rid them of destructive
pests.
That’s the indication from
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) studies in which scientists pitted Muscodor
against potato tuber moths, apple codling moths and Tilletia fungi that cause
bunt diseases in wheat.
The scientists – at ARS
laboratories in Aberdeen, Idaho; Wapato, Wash., and other locations – conducted
separate studies of Muscodor. However, their goal was the same: to learn
whether volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by the fungus could replace
or diminish the use of synthetic pesticides.
At the ARS Yakima
Agricultural Research Laboratory in Wapato, WA, entomologist Lerry Lacey and
colleagues tested Muscodor against potato tuber moths, which damage potato
leaves and tubers, and apple codling moths, which feed inside apples. In
fumigation chamber tests, 85 to 91 per cent of adult codling moths died when
exposed to Muscodor fumes, while 62 to 71 per cent of larvae died or failed to
pupate. In apple storage tests, a 14-day exposure to Muscodor killed 100 per
cent of cocooned codling moth larvae, which are especially difficult to
control.
Lacey and colleagues have
also been testing Muscodor's effectiveness in biofumigating sealed cartons of
apples stored at various temperatures. The results have been encouraging so
far, he reports, and there appears to be no adverse effect on the apples’
colour, firmness or other characteristics.
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