Paper Title
Weed Pathogenic Fungi for Bio-Control, Improved Management and A Safer Environment

Abstract
The increasing ratio of herbicide-resistant crops and weeds in addition to serious public concern about herbicides harmful effects will continue to be the driving force for investment in, and investigation of biocontrol agents. Biological control is highly specific and represent an environmental friendly long term solution to control weed especially herbicide resistant ones. This study aims to highlight the importance of weed pathogenic fungi as a promising approach to control herbicide resistant weeds. Different fungal species were isolated from infected stems and inflorescences of juvenile bean broomrape (Orobanche crenata) and were evaluated as biocontrol agents. Culture filtrates activity on broomrape seeds as well as mixtures of active fungal conidia and mycelia were tested either in plastic bags or in plastic pots in presence of the host plant. Fifty-one fungal species were isolated and identified during this study (29 from infected stems and 22 from infected inflorescences) on diseased juvenile bean broomrape. The in vitro assay on the germination of the parasitic weed seeds showed variation in isolates ability to inhibit the germination of weed seeds. Eleven isolates were able to highly inhibit germination completely, whereas the rest of tested isolates allowed germination of up to 70%. In-vivo tests using semi-natural system of constructed plastic bags as well as pots (seeded with both faba bean and O. crenata) showed characteristic high mycoherbicidal activity of six Fusarium isolates. Two of which was identified as F. oxysporum, one as F. equiseti, one as F. verticillioides whilst the other two were identified as F. compactum. Two of which showed high pathogenicity and were significantly virulent to the bean broomrape. Such results suggest the potential of some Fusarium species which suppressed seed germination and parasitic establishment in bean broomrape to broaden the spectrum in the biocontrol of these problematic parasitic weeds. Keywords - Faba bean, Crenate broomrape, Fusarium species, Mycoherbicides.