News

Mass Rearing in the Lab

May 2009

The 3rd shipment of the pathogenic rust fungus Puccinia spegazzinii is now being mass reared in the SPC quarantine laboratory in Suva. The rust is already under going its third generation which have started appearing on leaves and stems of inoculated plants.

Inoculations are carried out in a chamber where the basidiospores are able to infect the meristematic tissues under high humidity in the presence of free water. The set up is left in the chamber for a period of 24hr.

Regular monitoring of the selected sites for release will be done to evaluate, not only its establishment and performance as a biological control for mikania, but also to make assessments of any unforeseen non-target effects.

The project is still awaiting approval on it release.

Inoculation procedure being carried out in the humidity chamber. Infected plants are raised and tiltered towards the receiving cupped plants on the tray.

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