Poster: Biology & Disease Mgmt: Biological Control
205-P
Predicting the geographic establishment of introduced mycoparasites
S. COHEN (1) (1) Center for Regulatory Research, LLC, U.S.A.
The mycoparasites, Coniothyrium minitans and Trichoderma viride, of the plant pathogens, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Sclerotinia minor, offer a model system for the development of an approach for predicting their geographic distribution based on the physiological responses to the environmental variables of temperature and soil moisture. A biome analysis was performed to validate presence-absence data followed by a species response to environmental parameters using CLIMEX, a climate modeling and mapping software. Biome analysis identified the % of biome types capable of supporting Coniothyrium minitans (21.4%), Trichoderma viride (14.3%), Sclerotinia minor (28.6%) and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (21.4%). Geographic distribution of Sclerotinia species was based on carpogenic germination of sclerotia in response to temperature and soil moisture parameters. Mycoparasite geographic distribution was determined by conidia germination with respect to the parameters. CLIMEX model analysis reports the US locations that are very favorable for establishment for Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (47%), Sclerotinia minor (27%), Coniothyrium minitans (53%) and Trichoderma viride (20%). Areas deemed very favorable for establishment of Coniothyrium minitans (53%) were larger than for Trichoderma viride (20%). Only 3% of the areas were classified as unsuitable for Coniothyrium minitans as compared to 17% for Trichoderma viride.