Role of soil mesofauna in dispersal of Coniothyrium minitans: mechanisms of transmission

Soil mesofauna are thought to play a role in the dispersal of Coniothyrium minitans Campbell but the mechanisms of transmission are unclear. The mite Acarus siro L. and the collembolan Folsomia candida Willem are known to be able to transmit the mycoparasite to uninfected sclerotia of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary in soil, and consequently the mechanisms of transmission of the mycoparasite by these animals have been investigated in detail. To facilitate this work, a novel method for surface sterilising mites was developed. In an initial investigation, A. siro was found to carry inoculum externally and in the gut. Indeed, almost all faecal pellets collected from either A. siro or F. candida, following feeding on C. minitans, contained germinable inoculum of the mycoparasite. Microscopic examination showed that faeces from these animals consisted mainly of conidia or fragments of conidium, but that only intact conidia gave rise to growth of C. minitans. Passage through the gut of either animal reduced percentage germination of conidia to 11 and 60% in mite and collembolan faeces, respectively, compared to 99% in controls not subjected to gut passage. In addition, germination in mite faeces was delayed by approximately 12 h compared to controls. However, subsequent germ tube extension from surviving conidia appeared unaffected by gut passage. Individual faecal pellets of A. siro were found to contain sufficient inoculum of the mycoparasite to initiate infection of sclerotia in moist sterile sand and non-sterile soil. The relevance of these results to the glasshouse and field situation is discussed.