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Ecology and Epidemiology of Fungal Plant Pathogens Studied as Biological Control Agents of Weeds

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Microbial Control of Weeds

Abstract

The increase in interest in the exploitation of fungal plant pathogens as weed control agents resulted in a rapid increase in the number of plant pathogens discovered and studied as potential biological control agents. These studies accounted, in part, for development of the mycoherbicide and classical strategies discussed in the earlier chapters by Charudattan and Watson. Some of these pathogens were biologically successful, that is, they were shown to control weeds efficiently under field conditions, whereas many others were not. Most certainly, the epidemiological and ecological requirements and characteristics of these plant pathogens played a key role in determining the successful use of plant pathogens as biological control agents under these two strategies.

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TeBeest, D.O. (1991). Ecology and Epidemiology of Fungal Plant Pathogens Studied as Biological Control Agents of Weeds. In: TeBeest, D.O. (eds) Microbial Control of Weeds. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-9680-6_6

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