SELECTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF TRIADIMEFON RESISTANT ECTOMYCORRHIZAL FUNGUS STRAINS

THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WILL ASSESS THE USE OF BIOLOGICAL ENRICHMENT CULTURE TECHNIQUES ON ECTOMYCORRHIZAL FUNGI WITH THE OBJECTIVE TO PRODUCE FUNGI RESISTANT TO CHEMICAL PESTICIDES. SPECIFICALLY, WE WILL WORK WITH THE HIGHLY BENEFICIAL ECTOMYCORRHIZAL FUNGUS PISOLITHUS TINCTORIUS (PT) TO INDUCE RESISTANCE TO THE WIDELY USED FOREST NURSERY FUNGICIDE TRIADIMEFON (BAYLETON). TO ASSESS THE PROGRESS OF THE ENRICHMENT, PURE CULTURES OF PT WILL BE ISOLATED FROM PT FRUITING BODIES TO DETERMINE 1) THE NATURAL BACKGROUND LEVEL OF RESISTANCE OF PT NEVER EXPOSED TO TRIADIMEFON, 2) WHETHER EXPOSURE TO TRIADIMEFON IN NORMAL NURSERY PRACTICES HAS RESULTED IN INCREASED RESISTANCE TO TRIADIMEFON AND 3) THE LEVEL OF RESISTANCE TO TRIADIMEFON OF PT IN THE ENRICHMENT BEDS. THE PRIMARY GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO PRODUCE PT RESISTANT OT BAYLETON AND THEREFORE COMPATIBLE WITH BAYLETON USE IN THE NURSERY. THIS PROPOSAL PRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTEGRATE CHEMICAL DISEASE CONTROL OF FUSIFORM RUST WITH THE HIGHLY BENEFICIAL ECTOMYCORRHIZAL TECHNOLOGY IN SOUTHERN TREE NURSERIES. IN PRINCIPLE, THE TECHNIQUES EVALUATED COULD BE USED TO PRODUCE FUNGI TOLERANT OF OTHER TOXIC CHEMICALS IN ORDER TO FACILITATE REMEDIATION OF TOXIC SPOILS AND OTHER CHEMICALLY DAMAGED SITES.