Evaluation of Wheat-Derived Endophytic Fungi in the Biological Control of Fusarium Crown and Root Rot and determination of physiological characteristics

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 - Ph.D. Student of plant pathology, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of plant production, Gorgan University of Agricultural sciences and Natural Resources, Iran.

2 Professor, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of plant production, Gorgan University of Agricultural sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran.

3 Department of Plant Biology, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA

4 Associate Professor., Department of Soil Sciences, Faculty of Water and Soil Engineering, Gorgan University of Agricultural sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran.

5 Research and Development scientist, Department of Agricultural Sciences, Sara Gene Pardis Co., Gorgan, Golestan, Iran.

10.22092/bcpp.2025.370825.399

Abstract

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the world’s most strategic crops and a primary staple food for a large portion of the global population. Fusarium crown and root rot (FCR) is the most common disease of wheat and is of global importance, reduces yield and quality of the product. The use of beneficial microbial symbiosis of plants to improve productivity is one of the most important sustainable agricultural practices. One of the most important and effective alternative methods for environment of agroecology protection and reducing their risks is biocontrol using different agents such as endophytic fungi. For this purpose, the endophytic fungal isolates and pathogenic isolates from leaves, pods, stems and roots of wheat plants of Golestan province were isolated and purified on nutrient agar media with antibiotics. Then, out of 40 endophytic fungal isolates obtained, nine endophytic isolates and one pathogenic isolate were morphologically and molecularly identified with the ITS4 and ITS primer pairs. The characteristics of endophyte isolates as plant biostimulants were evaluated through several experiments such as:  the antagonistic effect of nine endophyte fungi against the pathogenic Fusarium pseudograminearum isolate, the cause of crown and root rot disease, zinc and phosphorus solubilization, siderophore production, and measurement of wheat plant growth indices under different treatments in the greenhouse.The results showed that, in dual culture method, the highest percentage of inhibition rate against the growth of F. pseudograminearum with 69.49, 66.06, 63.68 were related to the isolates of Alternaria sp., Penicillium pancosmium, and Alternaria alternata, respectively. In the volatile metabolites method, A. alternata with 50.78%. inhibition showed the highest percentage of inhibition of F. pseudograminearum. In the non-volatile compounds test, the A. alternata isolate had the highest percentage of inhibition rate against the growth of F. pseudograminearum with 20.59, 28.52, and 43.83, respectively, in extract ratios of 10-20-30 percent. In the phosphorous and zinc solubilization test, the highest levels were related to the Fusarium acuminatum, P. pancosmium, A. alternata, and Turola fici isolates, respectively, and in the siderifore production assay, only the T. fici isolate had the ability to produce siderifore. In the greenhouse conditions, the highest percentage of control of wheat crown and root rot disease 23.68% was obtained with P. pancosmium. In the interaction of isolates, at the probability level of one percent, the A. alternata treatment without the pathogen caused the greatest increase in growth indices including height, fresh and dry weights of shoots with 130.11, 58.17, and 49.07 percent, respectively, and the greatest increase in fresh and dry weights of roots with 119.76 and 100 percent, respectively, compared to the infected control belonging to the F. acuminatum treatment without the pathogen. This study presents the first report of these native isolates from the Golestan region.
 
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References

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BioControl in Plant Protection
Volume 12, Issue 2
December 2025
Pages 13-31

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