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Comparison of interactions between Ceratocystis ulmi and elm bark saprobes in vitro and in vivo

1986; Cambridge University Press; Volume: 86; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s0007-1536(86)80120-6

0007-1536

Joan Webber, J.N. Hedger,

Plant and fungal interactions

Of nineteen species of fungi isolated from elm bark, sixteen significantly reduced the growth of Ceratocystis ulmi during competitive interactions in culture. When directly confronted with the pathogen in elm bark only three species were capable of replacing already established C. ulmi colonies, while four others showed some potential to exclude C. ulmi during the initial stages of bark colonization by virtue of their effectiveness as primary colonizers. On the basis of these results the potential for natural biological control of C. ulmi by competitive saprobes in elm bark is discussed. The common practice of basing conclusions about interactions between fungi in nature, based solely on in vitro experiments, is also questioned.