TL;DR
The results showed that the PGPR treatments evaluated under M. phaseolina infection conditions played a role in both disease suppression and sesame growth enhancement, such that the PGPR-treated cultivar “Shevin” simultaneously showed reduced infection and improved growth traits.
The observed differences among microbial treatments indicate that biological control performance depends not only on pathogen suppression but also on the capacity of the antagonist to improve plant physiological status.
The dependence on synthetic fungicides in smallholder vegetable production creates both an economic and environmental concerns in sub-Saharan Africa. This study evaluated the biocontrol potential of two molecularly identified Trichoderma isolates, T. viride and T. harzianum, against Fusarium oxysporum and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) in tomato under controlled screenhouse conditions. The isolates were characterized using morphological traits and confirmed by ITS and tef1 sequencing. In vitro antagonism against F. oxysporum was assessed using serial spore concentrations, while in vivo efficacy was evaluated through pathogen challenge experiments measuring disease incidence, severity, plant growth, chlorophyll content, biomass, and root colonization over 12 weeks. Both isolates significantly suppressed pathogen activity, with T. viride showing stronger overall performance. In vitro, T. viride achieved 94.3% inhibition of F. oxysporum at 10⁹ CFU mL⁻¹ after 120 hours, compared with 91.7% for T. harzianum at same end point. Under screenhouse conditions, T. viride reduced Fusarium wilt incidence by 67% and CMV severity by 67%, whereas T. harzianum reduced Fusarium wilt incidence by 60% and CMV severity by 59% relative to pathogen-inoculated controls. Plants treated with T. viride also exhibited the greatest plant height, chlorophyll content, biomass accumulation, and root colonization, indicating enhanced plant vigour. In contrast, carbendazim effectively suppressed Fusarium wilt but provided no protection against CMV. These findings demonstrate that both Trichoderma species function as multifunctional bioagents capable of simultaneously suppressing fungal and viral diseases while promoting tomato growth, with T. viride showing superior overall efficacy and strong potential for sustainable integrated disease management.
Charcoal rot (CR), caused by the soilborne fungus Macrophomina phaseolina (MP), is a major disease of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] that leads to substantial yield losses. The uses of fungicides, cultural practices and biocontrol agents for CR management have not been widely adopted because of their limited successes. With the increase in production acreage and soybean monoculture, CR has continued to cause losses because there are no commercially available resistant soybean genotypes with complete resistance. Some soybean genotypes exhibit moderate resistance (MR) to CR, but the mechanism of this resistance is not completely understood. The MR soybean genotypes may be improved by implementing integrated agricultural practices that enhance microbial activity to suppress MP. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of MR and susceptible (S) soybean genotypes on CR severity, bacterial and nematode community structures, and soil fertility in a MP-infested field. We found that CR severity was consistently lower in MR genotypes. Most soil chemical properties and soil organisms were not affected by CR resistant genotypes. However, a few bacterial taxa and nematode trophic groups with known associations with enhanced plant disease resistance were negatively associated with disease severity in MR genotypes. Hence, using MR soybean genotypes and adopting agricultural practices that support plant growth promoting bacteria and fungivore and omnivore nematodes could reduce CR severity.
The charcoal rot caused by Macrophomina phaseolina is the most virulent soil-borne disease in mulberry. Due to the issues of pollution, disparity in soil ecosystem along with possible risks to silkworms, the natural control method known as a promising technique for the management of root diseases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antifungal efficacy of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) isolates against M. phaseolina. The charcoal rot causing pathogen, M. phaseolina was isolated from infected mulberry roots and its morphological and microscopical characters were observed. A total of 10 PGPR isolates were purified from healthy mulberry rhizosphere soil and identified isolates were belonging to the genera of Bacillus. The antifungal activity showed that BSSY9 isolate showed maximum growth inhibition of 58.5 % followed by BSKP3 isolate with 54.07%. Hence, thisisolates could be useful in developing an eco-friendly root rot management practices.
The results indicate that early inoculation with B. bassiana and R. irregularis can be an effective strategy to improve plant development, although additional studies are required to evaluate long-term effects and final yield.
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