Assessing the potential for biological control of Buddleja davidii with the fungus Chondrostereum purpureum

Buddleja davidii is a perennial woody shrub that is highly invasive in many parts of the world including New Zealand This study was conducted to assess the potential for inundative biological control of this weed using Chondrostereum purpureum a wound invasive basidiomycete The fungus has been registered for woody weed control in Canada and the Netherlands and is present throughout New Zealand Mature B davidii shrubs planted at the Scion campus Rotorua were cut 30 cm from the ground and the cut surface of the stems was immediately inoculated with C purpureumcolonised malt extract agar (MEA) and sealed with Parafilm There were four replicate shrubs for each of three isolates and the control (inoculation with sterile MEA) One year following inoculation no fruiting bodies of C purpureum have been observed on the treated B davidii Although the inoculated stems appear dead most replicates have extensive epicormic shoot development and are forming coppices