Granulobasidium vellereum (Ellis &Cragin) Jülich, a promising biological control agent

Abstract

Studies involving biological control of wood decay fungi and pests in forest areas are scarce. The basidiomycete Granulobasidium vellereum (Ellis & Cragin) Jülich has been isolated as wood endophyte from London Plane trees (Platanus acerifolia (Ait.) Willd). This basidiomycete produces a variety of sesquiterpenes with antifungal activity. In this study we evaluated the potential activity of G. vellereum against wood decay fungi and fungi associated with the ambrosia beetle Megaplatypus mutatus Chapuis, an important forest pest in Populus sp. A combination of in vitro assays was made, in cultures and on wood blocks. Granulobasidium vellereum's Volatile Organic Compounds (FVOCs) were characterized and their potential role in biocontrol was assessed. Granulobasidium vellereum did not cause a significant loss of weight on P. acerifolia and Populus wood and inhibited the growth of the target fungi, mainly when inoculated first. Up to nineteen volatile compounds were determined in G. vellereum strains. The growth of all target fungi was inhibited by FVOCs and in some cases the morphology of the fungi was altered. These results indicate that G. vellereum can be used as a Biological Control Agent (BCA) of xylophagous fungi and fungi related to forest pests. Further investigations should focus on developing application strategies for M. mutatus management.

Evaluating the Biocontrol Efficacy and Antioxidant Potential of Phellinus caribaeo‐quercicola—A First Report Dual‐Action Endophyte From Inula racemosa Hook. F.

“…This finding is supported by the research of Gholami et al, [43] who reported four basidiomycete isolates as having potential antifungal activity against the take‐all fungus, Gaeumannomyces graminis , in vitro using dual culture technique. Additionally, the fungal basidiomycete Granulobasidium vellereum , a wood endophytic fungus, possesses antifungal activity against wood decay fungi owing to its variety of sesquiterpenes [44]. Moreover, the antioxidant properties of the endophytic fungus P. caribaeo quercicola align with those found in Phellinus merrillii reported by Chang et al [45] Another basidiomycete fungal endophyte, Schizophyllum commune is reported to have good antioxidant potential [46].…”

Microbial Biocontrol Strategies for Ambrosia Beetles and Their Associated Phytopathogenic Fungi

“…In addition to fungal crude extracts, fungal volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have also been investigated for their antagonistic effect against ambrosia fungi. Robles et al (2018) demonstrated that Granulobasidium vellereum, a wood endophyte of Platanus acerifolia (Aiton) Willd (Platanaceae), could successfully inhibit mycelial growth of Raffaelea sp. associated with Megaplatypus mutatus in vitro, through the emission of fungal VOCs.…”