Potential of Curvularia sp. DBB2003 as mycoherbicide for monochoria.

Several fungal isolates were isolated from diseased monochoria(Monochoria vaginalis, weed of paddy field), which has an resistance to sulfonyl urea(S.U.) herbicide, and were evaluated in the laboratory and greenhouse as potential mycoherbicide. Eight fungi, Alternaria sp., Colletotrichum sp., Curvularia sp., Paenicillium sp and etc. were observed in the isolates. Pathogenicity testing were done on the monochorias in the greenhouse. Monochorias were inoculated with suspensions containing conidia of each isolate at the rates of 1.0 ${\times}$ 10$\^$5/ conidia/ml and 0.1％ Tween 80 with hand-gun sprayer. Curvularia sp. and an unidentified fungal isolate caused 90-95％ mortality on the monochorias 15∼20 days after inoculation. However the other isolates induced slight symptom of disease on the monochorias. In the early stage of disease development sun-burn appearance was shown at the infected site and the last infected leaves and stems were withered to death. Subsequently the pathogenicity on the rice was evaluated with above two effective isolates. From the test an unidentified isolate showed pathogenicity on the rice but Curvularia sp., named as DBB2003, didn't. Now the mass production and formulation using Curvularia sp. DBB2003 are in progress and the field test will be followed. Combination product with Curvularia sp. DBB2003 and chemical herbicide will be more effect to control the monochoria resisted on S.U. herbicide and need to be further tested.