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