Fungi (Kingdom:
Fungi):
v are microscopic
v are eukaryotic
v are usually filamentous (known as
mycelium), branched, spore-bearing organisms
v lack chlorophyll
v have cell walls composed of chitin and
glucans
v have cells containing a matrix of polysaccharides
and glycoproteins
v feed by absorption of nutrients.
Organisms
commonly recognized by most people as fungi are classified technically into
several groups. Recent authors (e.g. Agrios,
1997) have classified fungi and related organisms into 3
different kingdoms: Fungi, Stramenopila, Protista.
Four phyla are
classified in the Kingdom Fungi:
v
Chytridiomycota
v
Zygomycota
v
Ascomycota
v
Basidiomycota
Other groups of
fungal-like organisms that share many common features with the Kingdom Fungi
include:
v Oomycota, Hyphochytridiomycota,
Labyrinthulomycota
(Kingdom: Stramenopila):
-
don’t have chitin
v Acrasiomycota, Dictyosteliomycota,
Myxomycota, and Plasmodiophoromycota
(Kingdom: Protista):
-feeding by engulfing food substracts
(phagotrophic)
-plasmodial, colonial, and simple
multicellular organisms
v Saprophytic (>100,000 species)—live on
dead organic matter.
v Human parasitic (50 species)—Cause diseases
in humans.
v Animal parasitic (50 species)—cause
diseases in animals other than human.
v Plant parasitic (>10, 000 species)—cause
diseases in plants.
v Symbiotic—perform mutual beneficial
relationship with another organism.
v Predatory—form traps to feed on other
organisms.
We
focus on management of soil-borne fungi.
v Plant-parasitic fungi
v Beneficial soil fungi
-decomposer fungi
v Resistant and Tolerant Varieties
v Cover crops
v Biocontrol
v Sanitation
Agrios, G. N. 1997. Plant disease caused by
fungi. in Plant Pathology, pp.
245-406. Academic Press, SanDiego, CA, U.S.A.
Alexopoulos, C. J., C. W. Mims, and M.
Blackwell. 1996. Introductory Mycology, 4th Ed. Wiley, New York.