Chapters authored
Assessment of Biocontrol Potential of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal (Glomus spp.) against Damping-off Disease (Rhizoctonia solani) on Cucumber
Rhizoctonia solani is one of the most important causative agents of damping-off diseases on cucumber plants and significantly reduces their yield. R. solani possesses some characteristics, such as wide host range and unlimited survival in soil, which made it most difficult to control. Therefore, the research for a biocontrol agent will be valuable to control this disease. Two species of mycorrhizal fungi (Glomus mosseae and Glomus clarum) that were evaluated against the agent R. solani reduced the damping-off disease on the cucumber plant. Mycorrhizal-inoculated plants with both species showed a significant reduction in disease severity (DS), which were 21 and 25%, respectively, whereas the disease severity was 65% for non-inoculated plants. Furthermore, the effects of mycorrhizal fungi were evaluated against the growth parameters of cucumber plants. Plants inoculated with both species of mycorrhizal fungi showed a significant increase in both shoot dry weight and root dry weight compared with uninoculated plants. In conclusion, both mycorrhiza species could be an important tool to control soil-borne pathogens, increase plant’s nutrients’ absorption, and increase resistance to abiotic stresses.
Part of the book: Mycorrhizal Fungi