In VitroAntagonistic Study of Maize Root Colonizing Fungal Isolates Against Fusarium moniliformeCausing Ear Rot Disease of Maize

Abstract

In the present study, different root colonizing fungal isolates were isolated from the rhizosphericsoil of maize growing areas of Uttar Dinajpur, West Bengal. All the iso-lates including test pathogen were identified from Indian Type Culture Collection, New Delhi. Plant growth promoting maize root colonizing fungal isolates-Penicillium pinophilum(ITC NO. 11,201.19), Trichoderma harzianum (ITC NO.11,203.19), Trichoderma asperellum (ITC NO. 11,209.19), Aspergillus niger (ITC NO. 11,204.19) andPenicillum purpurogenum (ITC NO. 11,207.19) exhibited antagonis-tic activities against F. moniliforme(ITC NO. 11,208.19) in vitro. Two antagonistic isolates of T. harzianum and eleven strains of T. asperellumshowed antibiosis mech-anism for antagonism against F. moniliformewith the range of Percent Inhibition of Radial Growth from 62.41% to 88.57%. Competitive modeof antagonism against test pathogen by the isolates of P. pinophilum, P. purpurogenumand six isolates of A. nigerwere found. Percent of inhibition of radial growth ranged from 57.14% to 91.42%. In our finding, antagonistic isolates especially Trichoderma harzianum(ITC NO. 11,203.19), Trichoderma asperellum(ITC NO. 11,209.19) strains either single or in combination with rest maize root colonizing strains could be used as potent growth promoters as well as biocontrol (BCA) agents

Keywords

• ear rot disease of maize
• fusarium moniliforme
• in vitro antagonism-competition/antibiosis
• maize rhizosphere
• root colonizing plant growth promoting fungi