Skip to main content
Bull. Spec. CORESTA Congress, Jerez de la Frontera, 1992, p. 171, PPOST9, ISSN.0525-6240

Investigations on Fusarium solani, a possible biological control of broomrape (Orobanche spp.)

SALAJI M.H.; MAZAHERI A.; MOAZAMI N.
Tobacco Research Center, Orumieh, Iran.
In most tobacco and sunflower growing areas in Oroumieh (north-west of Iran) invaded by Orobanche spp., parasites of the broomrape were also found. In 1988, fungal pathogen of broomrape isolated from naturally infected broomrape (Orobanche cernua Loefl) was cultured in a medium and produced spores that have been identified as Fusarium solani. Pot and field trials were conducted in 1988-1991 to determine the pathogenicity of fungus. The inoculum concentration was 10+8 spores per mg of fungus and was applied at the rate of 0.5 g per plant. The fungus had no pathogenicity effect on tobacco, sunflower, tomato, cucumber, melon and watermelon, and caused browning of the haustorium or crown rot on parasite (Orobanche cernua Loefl on tobacco and sunflower, Orobanche aegyptica on the four others plants). The parasite decreased in naturally infected, sunflower field up to 100% on underground parts at humid and hot days of July. Also the fungus had stimulation effect on development of roots and green parts of the host plants.