Fungal disease in tropical cultivation systems
Tropical agricultural systems span from large plantations to subsistence farmers attempting to eke a living with cash crops. The latter have little money to spend on expensive seed or chemical sprays but nevertheless need to do so.
We are working currently with two biological systems
- Rice with Rhizoctonia solani where we have demonstrated that crude extracts prepared from Siam Weed, Chromolaena odorata canreduce infection levels against this and other important rice diseases. We are elucidating the mode of action and identifying the active factors. This is a collaboration with Can Tho University in the Mekon Delta of Vietnam.
- Black Sikatoga disease of Banana caused by Mycosphaella fijiensis is a major constraint in banana production systems world wide. We are collaborating with Makarere University, Uganda to identify biololgical control agents which can be effective against this pathogen.
Selected publication:
- Rodriguez-Algaba J, Sørensen J, Sørensen H, Khoa NĐ, Collinge DB, Jorgensen H (2014) Activity-guided separation of Chromolaena odorata leaf extract reveals fractions with rice disease-reducing properties. Eur J Plant Pathol 143: 331-341. DOI 10.1007/s10658-015-0684-x
- Khoa, N. D., Thuy, P. T. H., Thuy, T. T. T., Collinge, D. B., and Jørgensen, H. J. L. 2010. Disease-reducing effect of Chromolaena odorata extract on sheath blight and other rice diseases. Phytopathology 101:231-240, doi:10.1094/PHYTO-04-10-0113
