Abstract
Fungal diseases are considered a major threat to plant growth and productivity. However, some beneficial fungi growing in the same environment protect plants from various pathogens, either by secreting antifungal metabolites or by stimulating the host immune defense mechanism. Date palms are susceptible to several fungal pathogens. Nevertheless, information on the pathogenic fungal distribution in date palm fields across different seasons is limited, especially that from Qatar. Therefore, the current study's aim was to evaluate the pathogenic and beneficial fungal diversity and distribution, including the endophytic fungi from the date palm tissues and root-associated soil fungi, during different seasons, for the identification of indigenous biocontrol agents. Our results showed that the highest number of fungal species was isolated in fall and spring, and pathogenic fungi were isolated mainly in spring. This is the first report that in Qatar, Neodeightonia phoenicum and Thielaviopsis punctulata cause date palm root rot disease, Fusarium brachygibbosum and Fusarium equiseti cause date palm wilting, and N. phoenicum causes diplodia disease in date palm offshoots. The combinations of the fungi that did not frequently occur together in date palm rhizosphere soil were investigated to identify indigenous biocontrol agents. Based on the results, we determined that Trichoderma harzianum and Trichoderma longibrachiatum are effective antagonistic fungi against T. punctulata, N. phoenicum, F. brachygibbosum, and Fusarium solani, qualifying them as potential biocontrol agents. Antagonistic activity of endophytic fungi against the pathogens was tested; except for Ulocladium chartarum, no endophytic fungi showed antagonistic activity against the tested pathogens.[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY 4.0 International license.
Highlights
Fungal diseases are considered a major threat to plant growth and productivity
Date palms with symptoms resembling those of palm diseases such as black leaf scorch, trunk rot, inflorescence blight wilt, offshoot diplodia disease, and root rot were surveyed during different seasons
The pathogenic fungi Neodeightonia phoenicum, T. punctulata, Fusarium brachygibbosum, Fusarium equiseti, and Fusarium solani were isolated from the diseased trees tissues obtained during different seasons
Summary
Fungal diseases are considered a major threat to plant growth and productivity. some beneficial fungi growing in the same environment protect plants from various pathogens, either by secreting antifungal metabolites or by stimulating the host immune defense mechanism. Albedinis, which causes Bayoud disease and Fusarium wilt; Thielaviopsis punctulata, which causes black scorch, basal trunk disease, trunk rot, root rot, wilt, and rhizosis; and other fungal pathogens such as Omphalia pigmentata, Omphalia tralucida, Thielaviopsis paradoxa, Mycosphaerella tassiana, and Graphiola phoenicis, which cause foliar diseases, root diseases, and false smut (Abbas and Abdulla 2004; Abdullah et al 2009; Al-Naemi et al 2014; Al-Raisi et al 2011; El-Deeb et al 2007, El Modafar 2010; Suleman et al 2002; Zaid et al 2002) To survive in such harsh and competitive environments, constant interactions between the plant and other organisms, microorganisms, are essential.
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