A plant pathogen, it is common throughout the world, often found on materials such as paper, textiles, canvas and cotton.

The dead fungus kills specific parasitic microscopic pests called nematodes, which attack plants, usually through their roots.

Because the mixture may be toxic to aquatic organisms, it is not approved for use in or near bodies of water.

[2] A spray based on M. verrucaria works under a variety of conditions (including the absence of dew), causes minimal injury to many of the other woody plants in kudzu-infested habitats, and takes effect fast enough that kudzu treated with it in the morning starts showing evidence of damage by mid-afternoon.

[2] Initial formulations of the herbicide produced toxic levels of trichothecene as a byproduct, though the ARS discovered that growing M. verrucaria in a fermenter on a liquid instead of a solid diet limited or eliminated the problem.