DISTRIBUTION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BIOCONTROL FUNGUS TALAROMYCES-FLAVUS IN SOIL AND ON ROOTS OF SOLANACEOUS CROPS

Ascospores of Talaromyces flavus were applied to eggplant, tomato and potato as either a drench or in spherical granules (alginate prill). I n subsequent samplings, the percentage colonization of roots was signi ficantly greater than that of root tips. However, when populations of T. flavus were expressed as colony forming units g(-1) fresh weight, r ecovery of T. flavus was significantly greater in root tips. Populatio ns were lower in rhizosphere soil than from roots and root tips and po pulations in non-rhizosphere soil were the lowest of any location. Vig orous washing of the roots removed most of the T. flavus, indicating t hat T. flavus was superficially associated with the roots. Populations of T. flavus were greater when it was applied as a drench rather than in prill.