biological control and secondary actors

Question 1

What is biological control?

Answer 1

suppression of damaging activities of one organism using another organism
There are currently 13 registered bacterial agents in the EU

Question 2

What mechanisms might biological control agents use

Answer 2

compete with or antagonise with direct or indirect effects
direct:
- secreting antimicrobial enzymes, enzymes to inhibit QS, competing for nutrients and space
indirect:
- enhancing plant defence and growth

Question 3

Give me an example of a bacterial agent

Answer 3

Pseudomonas SPP
- colonises the rhizosphere/phylloplane and establishes competition, using plant exudates as nutrients to grow fast.
produces bioactive metabolites (i.e. anti-microbial) and chitinase, glucanase and cellulase to degrade pathogen cell wall

Question 4

what is a fungivorous nematode

Answer 4

a nematode that feeds on fungi

Question 5

tell me about fungi that feed on nematodes

Answer 5

some fungi capture via trapping (constricting rings/adhesive traps), endoparasitic fungi (infade the nematode from within), toxin producing and opportunistic fungi (invade nematode eggs)