Isolation and characterization of endophytic fungi and evaluation of their efficiency in control of white rot and damping off diseases on Tomato

Abstract

     The study dealt with isolating fungi inside the plant from the root and shoot systems of tomato plants taken from three different regions including Baiji, Al-Alam and Sharqat within Salah al-Din province. Anti-fungal tests were performed with Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Pythium aphanidermatum using the double culture method. The results indicates the highest inhibition of the two endophyte fungal isolates, SLC1 and ALS6, against P.aphanidermatum, had an inhibition rate of 75%. The fungal isolates BSR3, BRM3 and SRS2 achieved the highest antagonist activity against S.sclerotiorum, with an inhibition rate of 75% in double culture. The fungal isolate that gave consensus against the fungal pathogens at the type level Fusarium fujikuroi ARC3. The most efficient fungal isolate was identified at the species level Fusarium fujikuroi ARC3 and the results of the field experiment showed the effect of this fungus on vegetative markers to superiority of the chlorophyll content of tomato plants in the treatment of the treatment of fungus ARC3 (irrigation + spraying concentration of 10¹⁰ conidia/ml) in the presence of pathogens P. aphanidermatum and S. sclerotiorum superior on other treatments in chlorophyll content in tomato plants resulting in 36.74 and 34.66 spad, Sequentially, compared to 25.74 and 23.21 spad in these pathogens alone. The same treatment illustrates the highest of height plant elevation rate. The results cocern the effect of the endophytic fungus ARC3 on the percentage of plant infection in the presence of P. aphanidermatum and S. sclerotiorum present a significant superiority in reducing the infection rate in the treatment of  ARC3 (irrigation + spraying concentration of 10¹⁰ conidia/ml), reaching 15.14 and 19.27%, Sequentially, compared to the highest infection rate ​​of 86.83 and 78.71% for pathogen-only treatments, Sequentially.