Lauren Tough

• BSc Cell & Molecular Biology
• The interaction of a biological control agent (Trichoderma harzianum T-22) and the spot blotch pathogen Bipolaris sorokiniana in barley leaves.

There is a need for sustainable methods of controlling plant diseases. One promising approach is biological control by microorganisms that are antagonistic to pathogens. Recently, we have shown that biological control agents can reduce the severity of spot blotch, an important disease of cereals in many developing countries, but we do not know what the mechanisms are. The project aim is to investigate how an effective biological control agent and the pathogen interact. Barley leaves will be inoculated with the two organisms separately and together. Their development and interaction will be studied microscopically and by analysis of extracted DNA.

Funding Source: BSPP