Chemical and biological characterization of toxins produced by weed pathogenic fungi as potential natural herbicides

Several phytopathogenic fungi have been proposed for biocontrol of weeds, but few have been used. Recent studies were conducted to develop integrated biocontrol strategies using a combination of low-dose mycoherbicides and the Phytotoxins they produce. This chapter describes the chemical and the biological characterization of Phytotoxins produced by some Ascochyta, Pyrenophora and Phoma species proposed for the biocontrol of weeds (fat hen, annual grasses and sowthistle) infesting important agrarian crops, such as maize, sugar beet and cereals. Furthermore, the importance of Phytotoxins in developing integrated weed control strategies is discussed