Tenuazonic acid (TeA), a naturally occurring product of Alternaria alternata, a pathogen to croftonweed, was discovered to be a novel natural photosystem II (PSII) inhibitor. However, herbicidal activity of AAC-toxin, a metabolite of this fungus containing TeA as the main active ingredient, has not been evaluated systematically. In this study, we conducted activity-evaluation experiments in the laboratory, greenhouse, and field trials to assess the herbicidal potential of this fungal metabolite. AAC-toxin had high herbicidal activity on all species tested: croftonweed, large crabgrass, barnyardgrass, redroot pigweed, and eclipta. The AAC-toxin caused brown, leaf spot symptoms and leaf necrosis, subsequently killing the seedlings. When AAC-toxin was applied POST at 83 ml ai/ha, more than 95% of large crabgrass, barnyardgrass, and redroot pigweed plants were controlled 2 d after treatment in field trials. It can be concluded that AAC-toxin has broad-spectrum, rapid, and high herbicidal activity similar to that of paraquat and may have the potential to be developed as a microbe-based herbicide.
How to translate text using browser tools
1 April 2010
Bioassay of the Herbicidal Activity of AAC-Toxin Produced by Alternaria alternata Isolated from Ageratina adenophora
Sheng Qiang,
Ling Wang,
Ran Wei,
Bing Zhou,
Shiguo Chen,
Yunzhi Zhu,
Yunfa Dong,
Chuanfu An
ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

Weed Technology
Vol. 24 • No. 2
May-July
Vol. 24 • No. 2
May-July
Biobased herbicide, biological control, natural product, weed