Abstract
Aims
Despite acceptance of beneficial microorganisms as disease management tools, they seldom offered admirable results due to their instability. Here we aimed to develop cost-effective formulations that would enhance the reliability of beneficial microorganism.
Methods
Experiments were conducted to determine biocontrol effect of two endophyte fungi including Aspergillus sp. and Penicillium sp. in biocontrol of Rhizoctonia solani AG-4, develop wettable powder formulations that would fortify and preserve fungi and eventually evaluate their ability to mitigate Rhizoctonia infection on cucumber seedlings using pot experiments.
Results
The results indicated that both endophyte fungi, inhibited mycelial growth of pathogen in dual culture, production of volatile and none-volatile compounds assays. Among five silica-based carrier candidates, bentonite, aluminate and diatomite were chosen in mix with maltodextrin as stabilizer. A new and simple method was used for selecting and dosage optimization of wetting agents including coconut fatty acid, Tween 80 and Triton X100. Also, carboxymethyl cellulose and polyvinyl alcohol as dispersing agents were added to the formulation after dose optimization. Eventually, four wettable powder bioformulations were qualified for greenhouse studies. Plant welfare assessments revealed substantial reduction of Rhizoctonia canker in endophyte-mediated seedlings. Moreover, dry weight and photosynthesis rate were elevated in cucumbers inoculated with beneficial fungi and developed bioformulations.
Conclusions
Greenhouse studies revealed that besides plant protector features, both endophyte fungi have plant growth-promoter attributes as well, which increased when they applied in a formulated form. Noticeable effect detected in case of inoculating biological treatments, suggesting that pathogen presence acted synergistically for endophyte fungi.
Graphical Abstract
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Data availability
The datasets generated and analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the funding and supporting of this project by Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran. We appreciate the assistance from Dr. Ali Mokhtassi-bidgoli, Dr. Siamak Farhadi and Hanifeh Karimi.
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Sirvan Qaderi performed the experiments, data collection and statistical analysis and prepared the manuscript. Naser Safaie supervised the project and reviewed the manuscript. Both authors contributed in study conception and designing the experiments.
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Qaderi, S., Safaie, N. Endophytic fungi-based wettable powder formulation for Rhizoctonia solani AG-4 biocontrol. Plant Soil 488, 485–501 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-023-05987-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-023-05987-8