Recovery of Endophytic Fungi from Myriophyllum Spicatum

摘要

Myriophyllum spicatum L. (Eurasian watermilfoil, hereafter called milfoil) is one of many invasive plant species that are investigated by biocontrol researchers at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Environmental Laboratory (EL). For the past 10 years, plant samples from healthy, declining, or debilitated milfoil populations have been field-collected or have been sent to the EL specifically requesting microbial analysis, often in an attempt to explain sudden population declines. As a result of assaying the plant material for pathogens, lists of fungi associated with milfoil at each collecting site were compiled. It became apparent after examining the lists that certain fungal organisms were consistently isolated from the samples at high frequencies regardless of the condition of the host. The potential biological control pathogens were subjected to a screening regime for efficacy on milfoil.