Abstract
Our purpose was to evaluate the ability of Trichoderma aggressivum f. europaeum as a biological control agent against diseases from fungal phytopathogens. Twelve isolates of T. aggressivum f. europaeum were obtained from several substrates used for Agaricus bisporus cultivation from farms in Castilla-La Mancha (Spain). Growth rates of the 12 isolates were determined, and their antagonistic activity was analysed in vitro against Botrytis cinerea, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Fusarium solani f. cucurbitae, Pythium aphanidermatum, Rhizoctonia solani, and Mycosphaerella melonis, and all isolates had high growth rates. T. aggressivum f. europaeum showed high antagonistic activity for different phytopathogens, greater than 80%, except for P. aphanidermatum at approximately 65%. The most effective isolate, T. aggressivum f. europaeum TAET1, inhibited B. cinerea, S. sclerotiorum, and M. melonis growth by 100% in detached leaves assay and inhibited germination of S. sclerotiorum sclerotia. Disease incidence and severity in plant assays for pathosystems ranged from 22% for F. solani to 80% for M. melonis. This isolate reduced the incidence of Podosphaera xanthii in zucchini leaves by 66.78%. The high compatibility by this isolate with fungicides could allow its use in combination with different pest management strategies. Based on the results, T. aggressivum f. europaeum TAET1 should be considered for studies in commercial greenhouses as a biological control agent.
Highlights
The results of the identity analysis of the sequences obtained for the 12 strains allowed confirmation that they belonged to T. aggressivum f. europaeum
The results indicated that mycelial growth was affected by the different doses of each of the fungicides tested in vitro, compared oftoTAET1 was affected by the different of each the fungicides tested in vitro, the control
The isolate T. aggressivum f. europaeum TAET1 was selected to control different phytopathogens of interest in horticultural crops, assessing percentages of mycelial growth inhibition and disease severity reduction higher than those found in other Trichoderma species
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. In the past few decades, the use of plant growth-promoting microbes (PGPMs) and microbial biological control agents (MBCAs) has greatly increased in agriculture, mainly because consumers and producers are interested in reducing synthetic organic pesticides and chemical fertiliser residues in food, and in reducing the environmental impact of agricultural production. The extensive use of synthetic pesticides since 1945 has resulted in long-term environmental problems [1] and high health risks for humans [2].
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