In vitro evaluation of fungal antagonists of Phytophthora nicotianae

Abstract

As tobacco black shank epidemics caused by Phytophthora nicotianae occurred in central Italy in the late 1990s, fungal antagonists of the pathogen were searched in the rhizosphere of tobacco plants. Isolates of Aspergillus sydowii, Fusarium chlamydosporum, Gliocladium roseum, Penicillium brevicompactum, P. chrysogenum, Scopulariopsis candida and Trichoderma harzianum were recovered. Antagonism of these isolates toward P. nicotianae was evaluated in vitro: even if no hyphal interactions were observed in dual cultures, aberration in mycelial growth and morphology of sporangia occurred in most cases. Unlike those of T. harzianum, concentrated culture filtrates of A. sydowii, F. chlamydosporum, G. roseum, P. brevicompactum, P. chrysogenum, inhibited growth of all P. nicotianae isolates tested, while culture filtrates of S. candida caused aberrant mycelial growth.

Keywords

• phytophthora nicotianae
• tobacco
• fungal antagonists
• in vitro assays