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Characterization of rhizospheric fungi and their in vitro antagonistic potential against myco-phytopathogens invading Macrotyloma uniflorum plants

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Abstract

Microorganisms have become more resistant to pesticides, which increases their ability to invade and infect crops resulting in decreased crop productivity. The rhizosphere plays a crucial role in protecting plants from harmful invaders. The purpose of the study was to investigate the antagonistic efficiency of indigenous rhizospheric fungal isolates against phytopathogens of M. uniflorum plants so that they could be further used as potent Biocontrol agents. Thirty rhizospheric fungal isolates were collected from the roots of the Macrotyloma uniflorum plant and initially described morphologically for the present study. Further, in vitro tests were conducted to evaluate the antifungal activity of these strains against four myco-phytopathogens namely Macrophamina phaseolina, Phomopsis sp. PhSFX-1, Nigrospora oryzae, and Boeremia exigua. These pathogens are known to infect the same crop plant, M. uniflorum, and cause declines in crop productivity. Fifteen fungal strains out of the thirty fungal isolates showed some partial antagonistic activity against the myco-phytopathogens. The potent fungal isolates were further identified using molecular techniques, specifically based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region sequencing. Penicillium mallochii, Cladosporium pseudocladosporioides, Aspergillus chevalieri, Epicoccum nigrum, Metarhizium anisopliae, and Mucor irregularis were among the strains that were identified. These potent fungal strains showed effective antagonistic activity against harmful phytopathogens. Current findings suggest that these strains may be taken into consideration as synthetic fungicides which are frequently employed to manage plant diseases alternatives.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology, Sir J. C. Bose Technical Campus, Bhimtal, Kumaun University, Nainital, India

    Pooja Pant, Ankit Negi & Rishendra Kumar

  2. Department of Food Science and Technology, Graphic Era (Deemed to Be) University, Dehradun, 248002, India

    Jyoti Rawat

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  1. Pooja Pant
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  2. Ankit Negi
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by P.P. and A.N. The first draft of the manuscript was written by P.P., J.R. and R.K. and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Pooja Pant or Rishendra Kumar.

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Pant, P., Negi, A., Rawat, J. et al. Characterization of rhizospheric fungi and their in vitro antagonistic potential against myco-phytopathogens invading Macrotyloma uniflorum plants. Int Microbiol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10123-024-00520-y

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