Fusarium cotton wilt is a devastating disease of the cotton crop throughout the world, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. vasinfectum (FOV). Chemical control has many side effects, so, biological controls have been widely used for the management of Fusarium wilt. This study aimed to investigate the possible use of an actinomycetes Saccharothrix algeriensis (SA) NRRL B-24137 to control FOV. To access in-vitro anti-Fusarium ability of SA NRRL B-24137, dual culture assay, spore germination and seed germination tests were carried out. Following in-vitro investigations, several pot tests in a greenhouse environment were used to evaluate the biological control potential of SA NRRL B-24137 against FOV. Dual culture assay and spore germination revealed that SA NRRL B-24137 showed significant anti-Fusarium activity.During spore germination 87.77% inhibition of spore germination were observed. In pot experiments, SA NRRL B-24137 primed cotton seeds resulted in a 74.0% reduction in disease incidence. In soil there was a significant reduction in FOV spores in the presence of SA NRRL B-24137. Positive correlation was also observed on different concentrations of SA NRRL B-24137 towards FOV reduction. The results of this study showed that SA NRRL B-24137 has the potential to be employed as a biocontrol agent against Fusarium cotton wilt, improving cotton growth characteristics and yield.
