Gliocladium roseum strains useful for the control of fungal pathogens in plants

• US 6,495,133 B1
• Filed: 09/29/1999
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Her Majesty The Queen In Right of Canada As Represented By The Minister of National Defence
• Original Assignee: Her Majesty The Queen In Right of Canada As Represented By The Minister of National Defence
• Inventors: Xue, Allen G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Witz, Jean C.
• Application Number:
  US09/407,285
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 424/93.5
• US Class Current: 424/93.5
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 2300/00 Combinations or mixtures of active ingredients covered by classes A01N27/00 - A01N65/48 with other active or formulation relevant ingredients, e.g. specific carrier materials or surfactants, covered by classes A01N25/00 - A01N65/48
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 37/46 N-acyl derivatives
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 47/26 Oxidation products of dithiocarbamic acid derivatives, e.g. thiuram sulfides
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 63/30 Microbial fungi; Substances produced thereby or obtained therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/14 Fungi culture of mushrooms A01G18/00; as new plants A01H15/00; Culture media therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/145 Fungal isolates
• CPC Class Codes: C12R 2001/645 Fungi ; Processes using fungi

Abstract

A biocontrol agent and a method of use thereof for controlling diseases caused by fungal pathogens in plants. In one aspect of the invention, novel strains of Gliocladium roseum exhibiting antagonistic effects against plant pathogens are used as biocontrol agents. Most preferably, a novel strain Gliocladium roseum ACM941 (ATCC #74447) is used in a treatment effective against fungal pathogens of plants. The biocontrol agent of the present invention may be used in the treatment of seeds, soil or plants to effectively protect against plant diseases caused by fungal pathogens. The biocontrol agent is particularly effective against fungal infections of pea, bean, canola, wheat, barley, beet, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, canola, califlower, cucumber, egg plant, pepper, tomato, marigold and other horticultural and ornamental plants, caused by Alternaria alternata, Aphanomyces euteiches, Ascochyta spp., Bipolaris sorokiniana, Fusarium graminearum, Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. pisi, Fusarium solani f.sp. pisi, Fusarium spp. Mycosphaerella pinodes, Pythium spp., Rhizopus sp., Rhizoctonia solani, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum.

Claims

1. A biologically pure culture of a strain of a microorganism Gliocladium roseum exhibiting antagonistic effects against a plant pathogen, said microorganism having the identifying characteristics of ATCC #74447.

2. The culture of claim 1, having antagonistic effects against at least one pathogen selected from the groups of Ascomycetes, Deuteromycetes, Oomycetes and Zygomycetes.

3. The culture of claim 1, wherein the microorganism is capable of protection against fungal pathogens causing seed decay, foot/root rots, seedling blight, head blight and wilt diseases in plants of Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Fabaceae, Poaceae and Solanaceae.

4. The culture of claim 1, wherein the microorganism is capable of protection against are soil-borne and seed-borne Rhizoctonia solani on pea, bean, beet, canola, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, egg plant, pepper, tomato and marigold, soil-borne and seed-borne Alternaria alternata, Aphanomyces euteiches, Ascochyta spp., Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani, Mycosphaerella pinodes, Pythium aphanidermatum, Pythium ultimum, Rhizopus sp., and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum on pea, and soil-borne and seed-borne Bipolaris sorokiniana and Fusarium graminearum on wheat and barley.

5. A composition comprising:

a culture of a strain of Gliocladium roseum exhibiting antagonistic effects against a plant pathogen, said strain of Gliocladium roseum having the identifying characteristics of ATCC #74447; and

a delivery medium.

6. The composition of claim 5, wherein the delivery medium is a plant seed.

7. The composition according to claim 6, wherein the seed is chosen from the group consisting of seeds of wheat, seeds of barley, seeds of canola, seeds of sugar beet, seeds of table beet, seeds of dry bean, seeds of garden bean, seeds of field pea, seeds of sweet pea, seeds of broccoli, seeds of brussel sprouts, seeds of cabbage, seeds of cauliflower, seeds of cucumber, seeds of egg plant, seeds of pepper, seeds of tomato, and seeds of marigold.

8. The composition according to claim 5, including at least one fungicide.

9. The composition according to claim 8, wherein the at least one fungicide is at least one fungicide intended for use with field crops, horticultural crops, vegetables or ornamentals.

10. A method of protecting a plant from fungal infection comprising the steps of contacting the plant during a stage of the growth of said plant or contacting a seed of said plant with a strain of a microorganism Gliocladium roseum exhibiting antagonistic effects against a fungal plant pathogen, said strain having the identifying characteristics of ATCC #74447.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the seed of said plant is immersed into a composition comprising said strain before said seed is planted in a growth medium for said plant and said plant is grown.

12. The method according claim 10 wherein said plant comprises plant seedlings or seeds and said plant is planted in a growth medium containing said strain.

13. A method of protecting pea plants against PRRC pathogens, said method comprising:

isolating a culture of a strain of a microorganism Gliocladium roseum exhibiting antagonistic effects against fungal plant pathogens, said strain having the identifying characteristics of ATCC #74447;

treating a seed with said strain of said microorganism; and

planting said seed in a soil environment.

14. A biologically pure culture of a strain of a microorganism Gliocladium roseum exhibiting antagonistic effects against a plant pathogen, characterized by bands of 1.3 kb following DNA amplification with UBC519 primer and of 0.5 kb and 1.3 kb following DNA amplification with UBC521 primer.

15. The culture of claim 14, having antagonistic effects against at least one pathogen selected from the groups of Ascomycetes, Deuteromycetes, Oomycetes and Zygomycetes.

16. The culture of claim 14, wherein the microorganism is capable of conferring protection against fungal pathogens causing seed decay, foot/root rots, seedling blight, head blight and wilt diseases in plants of Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Fabaceae, Poaceae and Solanaceae.

17. The culture of claim 14, wherein the microorganism is capable of conferring protection against are soil-borne and seed-borne Rhizoctonia solani on pea, bean, beet, canola, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, egg plant, pepper, tomato and marigold, soil-borne and seed-borne Alternaria alternate, Aphanomyces euteiches, Ascochyta spp., Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani, Mycosphaerella pinodes, Pythium aphanidermatum, Pythium ultimum, Rhizopus sp., and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum on pea, and soil-borne and seed-borne Bipolaris sorokiniana and Fusarium graminearum on wheat and barley.

18. A composition comprising:

a culture of a strain of Gliocladium roseum exhibiting antagonistic effects against a plant pathogen, characterized by bands of 1.3 kb following DNA amplification with UBC519 primer and of 0.5 kb and 1.3 kb following DNA amplification with UBC521 primer; and

a delivery medium.

19. The composition of claim 18, wherein the delivery medium is a plant seed.

20. The composition according to claim 19, wherein the seed is chosen from the group consisting of seeds of wheat, seeds of barley, seeds of canola, seeds of sugar beet, seeds of table beet, seeds of dry bean, seeds of garden bean, seeds of field pea, seeds of sweet pea, seeds of broccoli, seeds of brussel sprouts, seeds of cabbage, seeds of cauliflower, seeds of cucumber, seeds of egg plant, seeds of pepper, seeds of tomato, and seeds of marigold.

21. The composition according to claim 18 including at least one fungicide.

22. The composition according to claim 18, wherein the at least one fungicide is at least one fungicide intended for use with field crops, horticultural crops, vegetables or ornamentals.

23. A method of protecting a plant from fungal infection comprising contacting a plant during a stage of the growth of said plant with a strain of a microorganism Gliocladium roseum exhibiting antagonistic effects against a fungal plant pathogen, characterized by bands of 1.3 kb following DNA amplification with UBC519 primer and of 0.5 kb and 1.3 kb following DNA amplification with UBC521 primer.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein a seed of said plant is immersed into a composition comprising said strain before said seed is planted in a growth medium for said plant and said plant is grown.

25. The method according to claim 23 wherein said plant comprises plant seedlings or seeds and said plant is planted in a growth medium containing said strain.

26. A method of protecting pea plants against PRRC pathogens, said method comprising:

isolating a culture of a strain of a microorganism Gliocladium roseum exhibiting antagonistic effects against fungal plant pathogens characterized by bands of 1.3 kb following DNA amplification with UBC519 primer and of 0.5 kb and 1.3 kb following DNA amplification with UBC521 primer;

treating a seed with said strain of said microorganism; and

planting said seed in a soil environment.