MYCOLab Ai Logo - gold and army green

Exploring fungal pathogens to control the plant invasive Rubus niveus on Galapagos Island San Cristobal

Summary

Scientists in the Galapagos Islands are working to control an invasive raspberry plant (Rubus niveus) that has taken over about 30,000 hectares and is damaging native species. Rather than using costly manual removal or herbicides, researchers isolated and tested five different fungi found naturally on diseased raspberry plants to see if they could be used as biological control agents. These five fungi—including species like Colletotrichum and Fusarium—showed promise by causing leaf damage to the raspberry plant, offering hope for a more sustainable pest management solution.

Background

Rubus niveus (Hill raspberry) is a highly invasive plant species that has spread across approximately 30,000 hectares in the Galapagos archipelago, displacing native and endemic species. Current control methods such as manual removal and herbicide application have proven ineffective and economically costly. The Galapagos ecosystem, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, faces significant threats from invasive species introduced through human activities including tourism and agriculture.

Objective

This study aimed to identify endemic fungal pathogens of Rubus niveus that could be developed as biological control agents for invasive Hill raspberry on San Cristobal Island. The research involved analyzing the microbiome of healthy and diseased Hill raspberry leaves and isolating and characterizing potentially pathogenic fungi.

Results

Five fungal isolates consistently caused lesions on healthy Hill raspberry leaves and were identified as Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Colletotrichum gloesporioides, Fusarium concentricum, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, and Penicillium rolfsii. Microbiome analysis revealed that diseased leaves had significantly higher abundances of pathogenic fungal genera including Alternaria, Septoria, Fusarium, Colletotrichum, and Phanerochaete compared to healthy leaves. Most identified fungi required mechanical wounds to establish infection, suggesting they may function as opportunistic pathogens or endophytes.

Conclusion

Five fungal species isolated from naturally diseased Hill raspberry tissue in the Galapagos were identified as potential candidates for biological control development. These findings provide a foundation for future research on the suitability of these endemic fungal pathogens as biocontrol agents, following established safety protocols including host-range testing on non-target plant species before any potential field release.
  • Published in:Scientific Reports,
  • Study Type:Observational Research, Microbial Isolation and Characterization,
  • Source: PMID: 40596352, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-08949-5
Scroll to Top