Selection and orchard testing of antagonists suppressing conidial production by the apple scab pathogen Venturia inaequalis

Apple scab caused by Venturia inaequalis is a major disease in apple production. Epidemics in spring are initiated by ascospores produced on overwintering leaves whereas epidemics during summer are driven by conidia produced on apple leaves by biotrophic mycelium. Fungal colonisers of sporulating colonies of V. inaequalis were isolated and their potential to reduce the production of conidia of V. inaequalis was evaluated on apple seedlings under controlled conditions. The four most effective isolates of the 63 screened isolates were tested subsequently under Dutch orchard conditions in 2006. Repeated applications of conidial suspensions of Cladosporium cladosporioides H39 resulted in an average reduction of conidial production by V. inaequalis of approximately 40%. In 2007, applications of conidial suspensions of C. cladosporioides H39 reduced conidial production by V. inaequalis by 69% on August 6 and by 51% on August 16, but no effect was found on August 20. However, viability of available conidia of C. cladosporioides H39 was low at the end of the experiment. Epiphytic and endophytic colonisation by Cladosporium spp. of leaves treated during the experiment with C. cladosporioides H39 was significantly higher than on control leaves sampled 6 weeks after the last application. It is concluded that C. cladosporioides H39 has promising potential as a biological control agent for apple scab control. More information is needed on the effect of C. cladosporioides H39 on apple scab epidemics as well as on mass production, formulation and shelf life of conidia of the antagonist.