In-vitro screening of antagonistic potential of native endophyte strains of banana (Musa spp.) against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense TR4 causing Fusarium wilt of banana

Abstract

The experiment was done in the Department of Plant Pathology, RPCAU, Pusa, Bihar during 2021-22 to identify the antagonistic potential of native endophytes of bananas against FocTR4. An in-vitro investigation revealed that only four bacterial endophytes, GNBE4, GNBE9, GNBE12, and GNBE14, showed significant antagonistic effects against FocTR4out of 18 screened endophytes (13 bacterial and 5 fungal) of banana. The GNBE4 (Alcaligens sp.) showed maximum mycelial inhibition (75.18%), followed by GNBE9 (Stenotrophomonas maltophilia) (71.90%) and GNBE12 (Staphylococcus warneri) (70.69%), while lowest in GNBE14 (Bacillus subtilis) (61.07%). Among the fungal endophytes, the maximum mycelial growth inhibition was shown in RzFE and LfFE (42.78%) followed by PsdFE (36.11%), while lowest in PtFE1 (26.67%). Apart from that already identified antagonistic PGPR like Pseudomonas fluorescens was obtained from the Department of Microbiology were tested which significantly suppressed the mycelial growth of fungus having a mycelial inhibition of 70.01 %.