BIOCONTROL OF BOTRYTIS CINEREA ON GREENHOUSE GROWN CONIFER SEEDLINGS

THE GROWING OF CONTAINERIZED CONIFER SEEDLINGS IN GREENHOUSES IS A WORLDWIDE INDUSTRY INVOLVINGPRIVATE, STATE, AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT NURSERIES. GRAY MOLD, CAUSEDBY THE FUNGUS BOTRYTIS CINEREA, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR LOSSES IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST OF NEARLY $2 MILLION EACH YEAR. THIS FUNGUS CAUSES DAMAGE TO SEEDS IN CONES, STORAGE AND DURING GERMINATION, AND ALSO DAMAGES SEEDLINGS DURING ESTABLISHMENT AND STORAGE. FUNGICIDE RESISTANT STRAINS OF BOTRYTIS, INADEQUATE FUNGICIDE APPLICATION AND NEAR IDEAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS OF DISEASE DEVELOPMENTPREVENT ADEQUATE CONTROL OF BOTRYTIS. NATURALLY OCCURRING MICROORGANISMS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO CONTROL BOTRYTIS ON SEVERAL CROPS EQUAL TO OR BETTER THAN FUNGICIDES. WE PROPOSE TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SEVERAL BIOLOGICAL DISEASE CONTROL AGENTS (BDCA'S) IN PREVENTING DAMAGE TO CONIFER SEEDLINGS IN CONTAINERIZED GREENHOUSES. TWO SPECIES EACH OF FUNGI, BATERIA, AND YEASTS WILL BE TESTED AGAINST THREE GEOGRAPHICALLY DISTINCT ISOLATES AND THREE FUNGICIDE TOLERANT STRAINS OF B. CINEREA ON CONTAINER GROWN DOUGLAS FIR IN COMPARISON TO STANDARD FUNGICIDE TREATMENTS.