Poster Abstract
  Management and Disposal

Effect of chemical and biological control agents on Phytophthora ramorum growth in in vitro trials

Tamar Y. Harnik¹, Monica Mejia-Chang², and Matteo Garbelotto²

Phytophthora ramorum is a major pathogen of native plant communities in California, currently there is no official method available to control the disease it causes. Chemical and biological control products that are available in the market to control other diseases might be effective against P. ramorum. We tested chemical compounds and biological control agents.

Different methodologies were used to test the products in in vitro trials including agar incorporation and pathogen inhibition studies. We incorporated the chemicals or the biological control agents into the V8 agar in different concentrations. In these studies, we measured hyphal growth rates and germination rates of zoospores. A few of the biological control products were tested using pathogen inhibition assay. Preliminary results show a significant reduction in colony size as an influence of chemical/biological control agents presence. We also plan to conduct in planta studies using zoospores.

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¹University of California, Department of ESPM-ES University of California, 23 Hilgard Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720; (510) 643-4282; tami@nature.berkeley.edu
²University of California, Department of ESPM-ES University of California, 23 Hilgard Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720