Fungal biocontrol
Disclosed is a strain of Beauveria spp. fungi which may be in a symbiotic association with a host plant, particularly a Brassicaceae host plant. Also disclosed are methods of using the disclosed Beauveria strain to confer resistance to at least one fungal pathogen to the host plant, as well as to combinations comprising the endophyte and a host plant or part thereof, including seeds.
1 . A method of conferring at least some level of fungal disease resistance on a host plant comprising artificially infecting the host plant with an isolated strain of B. bassiana O 2380, representative sample having been deposited under accession DSM 33860 at Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, to form a host plant/ B. bassiana combination.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein artificially infecting comprises contacting the host plant with the isolated B. bassiana strain O2380 or a composition comprising the isolated strain of Beauveria bassiana strain O2380 and a carrier.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the host plant is a Brassicaceae host plant selected from the group of Brassica spp. consisting of Brassica balearica (Mallorca cabbage); Brassica carinata (Abyssinian mustard or Abyssinian cabbage); Brassica elongate (elongated mustard); Brassica fruticulose (Mediterranean cabbage); Brassica hilarionis (St. Hilarion cabbage); Brassica juncea (Indian mustard, brown and leaf mustards, Sarepta mustard); Brassica napus (rapeseed, canola, rutabaga, Siberian kale); Brassica narinosa (broadbeaked mustard); Brassica nigra (black mustard); Brassica oleracea (kale, cabbage, collard greens, broccoli, cauliflower, kai-lan, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi); Brassica perviridis (tender green, mustard spinach); Brassica rapa syn. B. campestris (Chinese cabbage, turnip, rapini, komatsuna); Brassica rupestris (brown mustard); Brassica spinescens and Brassica tournefortii (Asian mustard).
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the Brassica spp. host plant is selected from the group of B. napus, B. rapa, B. campestris or B. oleracea.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the Brassica spp. host plant is a subspecies or interspecific hybrid between any combination of B. napus, B. rapa, B. campestris and/or B. oleracea.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the Brassica spp. host plant is selected form the group consisting of B. campestris ssp. rapifera, B. napus ssp. biennis×B. oleracea ssp. acephala, B. oleracea ssp. acephala, B. napus subsp. napus , and B. napus ssp. biennis.
7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the isolated strain and/or the isolated strain is a composition in the form of spores and/or mycelium.
8 . The method of claim 2 wherein the carrier is an agriculturally acceptable carrier selected from the group consisting of antioxidants, wetting agents, emulsifiers, fillers, growth stimulants, anti-caking agents, dispersants, surfactants and combinations thereof.