Prospects of mycoherbicides for control of broomrapes (Orobanche spp.) in Egypt

Abstract

Broomrapes (Orobanche spp.) are important parasitic weeds of peas, faba bean and tomatoes and other winter crops in Egypt. They are widespread and are major factors limiting production of these crops. From an extensive survey of Egyptian soils naturally infested with broomrapes, 42 isolates of fungi belonging to genera of Alternaria, Fusarium and Trichoderma were identified as pathogens of broomrapes under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. Three isolates of Trichoderma spp. including T. harzianum T1, T. harzianum T3 and T. viride T2 were further tested for control of Orobanche spp. in peas, faba bean and tomatoes under field conditions. Results of field studies showed that soil treatment with these three fungal agents alone or soil treatment with fungal agents plus aerial spray of glyphosate (50 ppm) was effective in reducing infection of broomrapes and increasing yields of peas, faba bean and tomatoes. The prospect of developing T. harzianum T1, T. harzianum T3 and T. viride T2 as mycoherbicides for control of bromerapes of peas, faba bean and tomatoes in Egypt is discussed in this paper.