EFFICACY OF GLOMUS AGGREGATUM AND BACILLUS SUBTILIS AS BIOCONTROL AGENTS FOR REDUCING FUSARIUM ROOT-ROT IN SOYBEAN PLANTS

MIKHAEEL, FATHY T.; SHERIEF, FATMA A.; RIZK, RIZK Y.; ABDALLA, FAKRY M.

doi:10.21608/ejar.2002.311884

EFFICACY OF GLOMUS AGGREGATUM AND BACILLUS SUBTILIS AS BIOCONTROL AGENTS FOR REDUCING FUSARIUM ROOT-ROT IN SOYBEAN PLANTS

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Agricultural Microbiology Research Department, Cairo, Egypt

² Soil Microbiology Lab., Sakha Agricultural Research Station, Soils, Water and Environ. Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt

10.21608/ejar.2002.311884

Abstract

A mycorrhizal fungus Glomus aggregatum (VAM), and a bacterial isolate Bacillus subtilis (Bs), were evaluated individually or in combination with Bradythizobium japonicum (Rh) as biocontrol agents for reducing root-rot disease caused by fusarium oxysporum (P.O.) in soybean plants, under greenhouse conditions. In non-inoculated (control) plants, infestation of soils with F.O. drastically reduced plant growth parameters compared to non-infested ones. However, the detrimental effects caused by F.O. infestation were less detected in VAM and/or Bs inoculated treatments, being the least pronounced in the VAM+Bs treatment. In plants inoculated with B. japonicum, fusarium infestation resulted in variable decreases in number and dry weight of nodules, plant growth and seed yield. However, rhizobial inoculated-plants could withstand the stress of fusarium infestation when biologically controlled with G. aggtegatum and/or B. subtilis. Results pointed out that the observed prophylactic effects of mycorrhizal inoculation was not only related with plant nutrition, but also related with reduction of disease severity.