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Trichoderma harzianum: a biocontrol agent against Bipolaris oryzae

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Abstract

Rice brown spot, caused by Bipolaris oryzae, can be a serious disease causing a considerable yield loss. Trichoderma harzianum is an effective biocontrol agent for a number of plant fungal diseases. Thus, this research was carried out to investigate the mechanisms of action by which T. harzianum antagonizes Bipolaris oryzae in vitro, and the efficacy of spray application of a spore suspension of T. harzianum for control of rice brown spot disease under field conditions. In vitro, the antagonistic behavior of T. harzianum resulted in the overgrowth of B. oryzae by T. harzianum, while the␣antifungal metabolites of T.␣harzianum completely prevented the linear growth of B. oryzae. Light and scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations showed no evidence that mycoparasitism contributed to the aggressive nature of the tested isolate of T. harzianum against B. oryzae. Under field conditions, spraying of a spore suspension of T. harzianum at 108 spore ml−1 significantly reduced the disease severity (DS) and disease incidence (DI) on the plant leaves, and also significantly increased the grain yield, total grain carbohydrate, and protein, and led to a significant increase in the total photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a and b and carotenoids) in rice leaves.

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Abbreviations

ARC:

Agricultural Research Center

DI :

Disease incidence

DS:

Disease severity

FAO:

Food and Agriculture Organization

PDA:

Potato dextrose agar medium

SEM:

Scanning electron microscope

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Acknowledgments

The field experiment described in this article was carried out at Tag El-Ezz Agricultural Research Station, Mansoura, Egypt. We thank Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Othman for agronomic help and valuable suggestions. Sincere thanks also to the Plant Pathology Dept., Mansoura Univ., Egypt, for the excellent technical support during the course of this study. We are also deeply grateful to Dr. Khalid Ghoneem for help with the fungal identifications.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, El-Mansoura, 35516, Egypt

    Gamal M. Abdel-Fattah & Younes Mohamed Rashad

  2. Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University, El-Mansoura, Egypt

    Yasser M. Shabana

  3. Department of Mycological Research and Disease Survey, Institute of Plant Pathology, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt

    Adel E. Ismail

Authors
  1. Gamal M. Abdel-Fattah
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  2. Yasser M. Shabana
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  3. Adel E. Ismail
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  4. Younes Mohamed Rashad
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Correspondence to Younes Mohamed Rashad.

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Abdel-Fattah, G.M., Shabana, Y.M., Ismail, A.E. et al. Trichoderma harzianum: a biocontrol agent against Bipolaris oryzae . Mycopathologia 164, 81–89 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-007-9032-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-007-9032-9

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