Summary
An hemipterous insect found feeding on the roots of banana plants, variety Gros Michel, was identified asScaptocoris talpa Champ. Adults and nymphs of this insect are provided with scent glands.In vitro the volatile odoriferous matter secreted by these insects proved to be fungistatic or fungicidal, depending on concentration, to 4 isolates ofFusarium oxyporum f.cubenze and 14 other soil-inhabiting fungi. The condensed odoriferous substance seems to be different from quinones of insect origin or the fumes of caproic and caprylic acids. Under laboratory conditions, during 6 days of incubation in soil, (75 insects/500 g of soil) reduced the population ofF. oxysporum f.cubense from 34, 794 viable spores per gram of moisture free soil to 11,000 and 12,000 in sterilized und unsterilized soil, respectively.
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Timonin, M.I. Effect of volatile constituents ofScaptocoris talpa Champ. on the growth of soil fungi. Plant Soil 14, 323–334 (1961). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01666291
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01666291