Isolation and Characterization of fungal pathogens associated with Carica papaya L. and their biocontrol with Trichoderma sp.

Abstract

Objective: In this work, we undertook the task of isolating and identifying Fusarium obtained from papaya fruits grown in the Veracruz region and carried out antibiotic tests to find a beneficial fungus that could exert biological control. Methodology: Juvenile fruits with necrosis and rot were collected from papaya plants of the Maradol variety, from here the pathogenic fungi were obtained, which were morphologically and molecularly characterized using the ITS gene. Subsequently, the isolated pathogenic fungi were confronted with the Trichoderma sp fungus. Results: Ten isolates were obtained, of which four were Fusarium solani. From the confrontations, a 66% to 100% percentage of inhibition in these pathogenic fungi was obtained. Limitations of the study: It is proposed that future evaluations carry out long-term follow-ups to evaluate the persistence and effectiveness of biological control. Findings/conclusions: Timely identification of pathogens could represent a biological control strategy in disease management programs.