Biological control of the agriculturally important weeds of southern Russiafrom the genera Cynanchum and Vincetoxicum

Abstract: Micromycetes strains were isolated from herbarium samples of weeds Cynanchumacutum and Vincetoxicum funerbe collected in the Krasnodar region a number ofphytopathogenic. Strains were identified to genus and species by means of classical andmolecular methods. The micromycetes Cercospora punctiformis Sacc. et Roum., Alternariaalternata (Fr.) Keissl., Alternaria infectoria E. G. Simmons, Fusarium heterosporum Nees etT. Nees, Fusarium sporotrichioides Sherb., Phomopsis sp., Phoma glomerata (Corda) Wollenw.et Hochapfel, Botrytis fascicularis (Corda) Sacc., Phoma pomorum sensu auct. NZ and aDeuterophoma sp. were isolated from Cynanchum acutum tissues with disease symptoms. Fungalstrains from the Vincetoxicum funerbe diseased tissues were identified as Acremoniella atra(Corda) Sacc., Phoma eupyrena Sacc., Phoma chryzanthemicola Hollos, Fusarium oxysporumE. F. Sm. et Swingle, Nigrospora oryzae (Berk. et Broome) Petch, Curvularia geniculata (Tracyet Earle) Boedijn, Dendryphiella vinosa (Berk. et M. A. Curtis) Reisinger, Chalaropsis(Ceratocystis) sp., Alternaria sp., Cladosporium sp., Botrytis cinerea Pers., Gilmaniella humicolaG. L. Barron, Verticillium dahliae Kleb. The phytopathogenic properties of the isolatedmicromycetes were tested in the laboratory on the leaflets of plants. The fungi Acremoniella atra(Corda) Sacc. and Phoma chryzanthemicola Hollos. were revealed as the most perspectivepotential agents for the biological control of Cynanchum acutum and Vincetoxicum funerbe.Severe symptoms of damage caused by Cercospora punctiformis Sacc. et Roum. on C. acutumwere noted in the Krasnodar region around Taman. It is possible this fungus also can be used as abiological control agent.