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Research article2010Peer reviewedOpen access

Bacteria considered as biocontrol agents to control growth of white clover on golf courses

Omer, Zahra S; Jacobsson, Karin; Eberhard, Thomas H; Johansson, Leif K-H

Abstract

In recreational areas, such as parks and golf courses, plants like white clover are considered as weeds. In an attempt to identify biocontrol agents that can be used to control growth of clover, a number of bacterial isolates were studied. Two approaches were considered: soil treatment for suppression of Rhizobium leguminosarum, a symbiotic bacteria providing clover with nitrogen, and direct suppression by leaf-spray treatment. Selected bacterial isolates were first screened against R. leguminosarum in a dual culture. Some of the tested isolates significantly inhibited the growth of R. leguminosarum. Soil inoculation of these isolates had a significant growth-reducing effect on clover seedlings. Leaf-spray treatment of bacteria had a significant impact on clover growth. Depending on the plant growth stage, this effect can reach up to 86% reduction in clover shoot dry weight. Different temperatures did not influence the effect on clover. The growth-reducing effect of bacteria was also shown on another important dicotyledonous weed, Chenopodium album.

Keywords

Chenopodium album; Lactobacillus sp; Pseudomonas sp; Rhizobium leguminosarum; Trifolium repens; weeds

Published in

Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B - Soil and Plant Science
2010, Volume: 60, number: 3, pages: 193-198 Publisher: TAYLOR & FRANCIS AS

      SLU Authors

    • UKÄ Subject classification

      Soil Science
      Agricultural Science
      Landscape Architecture

      Publication identifier

      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09064710902773637

      Permanent link to this page (URI)

      https://res.slu.se/id/publ/60905