Browsing by Author "Thambugala, K. M."

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2

Fungi vs. Fungi in Biocontrol: An Overview of Fungal Antagonists Applied Against Fungal Plant Pathogens
(Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 2020) Thambugala, K. M.; Daranagama, D. A.; Phillips, A. J. L.; Kannangara, S. D.; Promputtha, I.
Plant pathogens cause severe losses or damage to crops worldwide and thereby significantly reduce the quality and quantity of agricultural commodities. World tendencies are shifting towards reducing the usage of chemically synthesized pesticides, while various biocontrol methods, strategies and approaches are being used in plant disease management. Fungal antagonists play a significant role in controlling plant pathogens and diseases and they are used as Biocontrol Agents (BCAs) throughout the world. This review provides a comprehensive list of fungal BCAs used against fungal plant pathogens according to modern taxonomic concepts, and clarifies their phylogenetic relationships because thewrong names are frequently used in the literature of biocontrol. Details of approximately 300 fungal antagonists belonging to 13 classes and 113 genera are listed together with the target pathogens and corresponding plant diseases. Trichoderma is identified as the genus with greatest potential comprising 25 biocontrol agents that have been used against a number of plant fungal diseases. In addition to Trichoderma, nine genera are recognized as significant comprising five or more known antagonistic species, namely, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Candida, Fusarium, Penicillium, Pichia, Pythium, Talaromyces, and Verticillium. A phylogenetic analysis based on partial sequences of the 28S nrRNA gene (LSU) of fungal antagonists was performed to establish their phylogenetic relationships.
Global Challenges in Identifying Plant Pathogenic Fungi: An Overview with Suggestions for the Way Forward
(Chiang Mai Journal of Science, 2023) Dayarathne, M. C.; Thambugala, K. M.; Daranagama, D. A.; Mridha, A. U.; Dissanayake, A. J.; Dissanayake, L. S.; Sajeewa, S. N. Maharachchikumbura; Rathnayake, R. S. S.; Lumyong, Saisamorn; Hongsanan., Sinang
Fungal plant diseases are responsible for major crop and postharvest losses worldwide, with a significant socio-economic impact on many individuals who depend on an agriculture-based economy. This review discusses the major constraints in identifying plant pathogenic fungi (severely destructive on important crops) in sample collection, field, and morphological observations, fungal isolation, obtaining pure cultures, applying Koch’s postulates, DNA barcoding, phylogenetic analyses, and naming fungi (under “One fungus, One name” concept) based on selected case studies. Additionally, available strategies/methods to overcome those limitations up to date are also discussed. Ultimately, we proposed suggestions to minimize those limitations.