MYCOPOPULATION OF WEEDS IN ARABLE CROPS

A large number of weeds are alternative hosts to numerous pathogenic agents of fungus diseases to arable crops and they represent inoculum source to cultivated plants. The aim of our investigation was to determine weed mycopopulation, to establish pathogenicity of some fungi to cultivated plants as well as to choose potential parasites for biological control of weeds. During a two year investigation of weed mycopopulationobtained from root crops at five localities in East Slavonia and Baranya 32 fungus species were established at 25 weeds that were characterized by disease symptoms. Seven fungi species were determined on roots of 18 weeds, although there were no obvious disease symptoms. Obligated parasites along with 21 determined fungi are of Oomycetes, Plectomycetes and Hemibasidiomycetes genus. Facultative parasites from 18 determined fungus species are of Discomycetes, Pyrenomycetes, Coelomycetes and Hyphomycetes genus. Isolates of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum were tested for their pathogenicity to soybean. The results showed that there were no significant differences in pathogenicity of isolates in artificial conditions in laboratory. In natural conditions isolates from soybean were more pathogenic to soybean than the isolates from weeds. Experiments done with sunflower showed that the isolates from weeds were more pathogenic than isolates from sunflower. The isolates of Phomopsis/Diaporthe complex affected the length of germ, the length of necrosis and seed disease differently. Results showed that the isolates from weeds of Phomopsis species are pathogenic to soybean representing an important source of inoculum to soybean. Isolates of Fusarium species isolated from weeds were pathogenic for popcorn seedlings. Artificial infection of Abutilon theophrasti by Colletotrichum coccodes showed that foliar mass wilted earlier and whole plants died. For the first time in Croatia the presence of 14 fungus species was determined on 27 new hosts.