Virulence enhancement of bioherbicides
Most bioherbicides are developed from host-specific plant pathogens. These pathogens attack and suppress the growth and expansion of a target weed but are seldom virulent enough to effectively destroy the target plant. The approach we describe is a novel way to enhance the virulence of plant biocont...
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| Main Authors | , , , |
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| Format | Patent |
| Language | English |
| Published |
06.01.2004
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| Online Access | Get full text |
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| Summary: | Most bioherbicides are developed from host-specific plant pathogens. These pathogens attack and suppress the growth and expansion of a target weed but are seldom virulent enough to effectively destroy the target plant. The approach we describe is a novel way to enhance the virulence of plant biocontrol agents without producing potentially dangerous metabolites. The basic background behind this study involves aspects of self-regulation of intermediary metabolism in plants and microbes. This approach does not require recombinant genetics thereby decreasing the time and testing involved with biosafety considerations.
Disclosed are novel methodologies for virulence enhancement of fungal and bacterial pathogens for biological control of target plants. Described is a selection process for phytopathogenic microorganisms that excrete selected amino acids. Pathogenicity studies demonstrate that these amino acid-excreting plant pathogens show greater virulence against target plants than do corresponding wild type strains. Host range evaluations of these mutants did not reveal any increase of virulence towards non-target plants. This novel approach to enhancement of microbial herbicides can be used across a broad spectrum of microbial groups to improve the efficacy of bio-control. Also disclosed is the use of selected mutants of plant pathogenic microorganisms that overproduce one or more inhibitory amino acids to enhance control of target plants. |
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