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

Summary

Hill raspberry is a highly invasive plant that has taken over approximately 30,000 hectares of the Galapagos Islands, threatening native plant species. Traditional control methods like manual removal and herbicide spraying are expensive and ineffective. Researchers identified five species of fungal pathogens that naturally occur on infected Hill raspberry plants and can cause disease on healthy plants, offering promise as biological control agents to suppress this invasive species.

Background

The Galapagos Islands face threats from invasive species, particularly Rubus niveus (Hill raspberry), which covers approximately 30,000 hectares and displaces native vegetation. Current control methods using manual removal and herbicides have proven ineffective and costly. This research aimed to identify endemic fungal pathogens as potential biological control agents against this invasive plant.

Objective

To identify and characterize fungal pathogens endemic to San Cristobal that are pathogenic to Rubus niveus through microbiome analysis and isolation of fungi from diseased plant tissue, followed by pathogenicity testing and molecular identification.

Results

Microbiome analysis revealed significant differences in fungal communities between healthy and diseased leaves, with greater abundance of pathogenic genera in diseased tissue. 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 through phylogenetic analysis.

Conclusion

Five candidate fungal pathogens were successfully isolated and identified as potential biocontrol agents for invasive Hill raspberry. Future research will evaluate their suitability as biological control agents, including host-range testing and whole-plant pathogenicity assays to ensure safety for non-target species.
  • Published in:Scientific Reports,
  • Study Type:Original Research,
  • Source: PMID: 40596352
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