Metagenome Profiling Identifies Potential Biocontrol Agents for in New Zealand.

Metagenomics can be used to identify potential biocontrol agents for invasive species and was used here to identify candidate species for biocontrol of an invasive club moss in New Zealand. Profiles were obtained for collected from nine geographically disjunct locations in Northern New Zealand. These profiles were distinct from those obtained for the exotic club moss and the native club mosses and also collected in Northern New Zealand. Fungi and bacteria implicated elsewhere in causing plant disease were identified on plants of that exhibited signs of necrosis. Most notably, high densities of sequence reads from and were associated with some populations of but not . Since these bacteria are already in use as biocontrol agents elsewhere, further investigation into their potential as biocontrol of in New Zealand is suggested.