Rapid Screening of Sulfuryl Fluoride as a Potential Phytosanitary Treatment for a Broad Selection of Fungi Relevant to Forestry
2017
Uzunovic, Adnan | Mukherjee, Ananya | Elder, Peggy | Myers, Scott W.
Increasing restrictions on the use of methyl bromide have created an urgent need to find suitable replacements that are effective in eliminating exotic pest establishments via trade in wood products. Efficacy data for established phytosanitary fumigants have primarily focused on arthropods and nematodes, whereas limited information exists for plant pathogens and fungi relevant to forestry. A rapid screening process was developed to evaluate efficacy and compare relative tolerance to fumigation treatments for a broad selection of relevant fungi under laboratory conditions. Sulfuryl fluoride (SF) fumigations were conducted in 10-liter glass chambers at six target concentrations (40 to 240 mg liter−1) at 15°C and 20°C for 24-, 48-, and 72-hour exposure times against 23 fungal species represented with 35 isolates. Fungi were grown on sterilized barley grain and then distributed in felt-covered borosilicate glass tubes to allow uninhibited gas penetration during fumigation while minimizing the risk of fungal contamination. This allowed simultaneous testing of numerous species and isolates, followed by 100 percent recovery of controls without contamination. Results demonstrate that SF is an effective fumigant for a broad range of fungi. Several fungi and isolates were found to consistently be among the most tolerant to the fumigant treatment. These species may serve as a benchmark for screening SF in fumigations of logs and other wood products. Methods developed here will be useful in efficacy screening of other methyl bromide fumigant alternatives.
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