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07-1-3-10
2007
06/04/2007
09/30/2010
Annual Brome Biocontrol after Wildfire Using a Native Fungal Seed Pathogen
Competition from annual bromes (cheatgrass and red brome) is a major obstacle to post-fire seeding success in arid ecosystems. Currently available control methods do not eliminate the annual brome carryover seed bank We will examine the feasibility of using a native fungal seed pathogen (Pyrenophora semeniperda) as a biocontrol organism to eliminate these carryover seeds. This pathogen is already abundant in annual brome seed banks and can kill up to 90% of carryover seeds, even at naturally occurring inoculum levels. Our study has three principal objectives: to determine the effectiveness of this pathogen as a biocontrol organism, alone and in combination with other control measures, to evaluate risk to non-target organisms, including seeded species, and to develop strategies for minimizing identified risks. This pathogen is a generalist known to attack seeds of many cool season grasses. We will examine the risk to the seeds of native species in laboratory host range and field inoculum persistence studies, and will develop a method to mitigate any risk using fungicidal seed dressings that can protect at-risk seeded species. We will carry out field inoculation experiments in two years on burned areas at three cheatgrass sites and two red brome sites. We will determine how effectively the seed pathogen eliminated the carryover seed bank, how well the combined treatments reduced total seed bank size, whether pathogen inoculum loads created by the treatments pose a risk to seeded species, and how this risk can be mitigated using fungicidal seed dressings. We will also address the question of inoculum persistence.
Susan E. Meyer
Forest Service
RMRS-Shrub Sciences Laboratory

Other Project Collaborators

Other Project Collaborators

Type

Name

Agency/Organization

Branch or Dept

Co-Principal Investigator

Julie Beckstead

Gonzaga University

Department of Biology

Co-Principal Investigator

Phil S. Allen

Brigham Young University

Department of Plant & Wildlife Sciences

Federal Cooperator

Susan E. Meyer

Forest Service

RMRS-Shrub Sciences Laboratory

Federal Fiscal Representative

Judy A. Perry

Forest Service

RMRS-Forestry Sciences Lab-Fort Collins

Project Locations

Project Locations

Fire Science Exchange Network

Great Basin

Level

State

Agency

Unit

Final Report

Project Deliverables

Title
 
Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) Biocontrol Using Indigenous Fungal PathogensView
xxxView
Journal of EcologyView
EpidemiologyView
First Report of Pyrenophora seminiperda in Turkey and GreeceView
New PhytologistView
Biological ControlView
The Grass Seed Pathogen Pyrenophora semeniperda as a Biocontrol Agent for Annual Brome GrassesView

Supporting Documents