Abstract Detail



Extreme conservation measures for plants at the extremes in the Hawaiian archipelago model system

Koko, Jerry [1].

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and Moesziomyces aphidis decrease disease seveirty of powdery mildew (Neoerysiphe galeopsidis) in endangered Phyllostegia kaalaensis.

The endemic Hawaiian mint, Phyllostegia kaalaensis (Lamiaceae), is a critically endangered species native to the Waianae Mountain Range on the Island of Oahu, Hawaii whose wild populations are extinct. The propagation of the plant is dependent on intervention and control of Neoerysiphe galeopsidis, a foliar pathogen which infects the leaves of the plant. Propagators combat N. galeopsidis with fungicide routinely in captivity, but cannot keep up with the application of fungicide once the plant is restored into the wild. This study applied two different microbial symbionts, Moesziomyces aphidis and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to combat N. galeopsidis as a potential alternative to fungicide. The effectiveness of M. aphidis has been proven on a different species of powdery mildew. It has also been postulated to be effective in decreasing disease severity of N. galeopsidis in P. kaalaensis by a previous study. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi have also proved effective in decreasing the disease severity of various species of powdery mildew. The effectiveness of these two microbial symbionts in decreasing the disease severity of N. galeopsidis was tested by inoculating P. kaalaensis with the symbionts independently as well as collectively. Individuals that were treated with either of the symbiotic microbes showed a significant decrease in the pathogen’s disease severity. The most effective treatment to decrease disease severity of N. galeopsidis was inoculating plants with M. aphidis. These results indicate the benefits of using microbial symbionts in the restoration and conservation of P. kaalaensis.


1 - University Of Hawaii at Manoa, Botany, 3190 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA

Keywords:
AM fungi
Moesziomyces aphidis
Powdery Mildew
Disease Severity.

Presentation Type: Colloquium Presentations
Session: COL05, Extreme conservation measures for plants at the extremes in the Hawaiian archipelago model system
Location: Virtual/Virtual
Date: Wednesday, July 29th, 2020
Time: 2:00 PM
Number: COL05006
Abstract ID:440
Candidate for Awards:None


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