Antagonistic activities of needle-leaf fungal endophytes against Fusarium spp.

Ronel Brandon C. De Mesa¹, Isabel Rafaela Espinosa¹, Ma. Carmella Romana R. Agcaoili¹, Marie Antonette T. Calderon¹, Ma. Victoria B. Pangilinan¹, Jewel C. De Padua², and Thomas Edison E. dela Cruz^{1, 2, *}

Affiliations
¹Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, University of Santo Tomas, España Blvd. 1008 Manila, Philippines
²Fungal Biodiversity, Ecogenomics and Systematics (FBeS) Group, Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Santo Tomas, España Blvd. 1008 Manila, Philippines

*Corresponding author, email: [email protected]

Abstract
The utilization of beneficial living microbes and their products for controlling plant pathogens offers a safer alternative to chemical treatments. This study focuses on the isolation of needle-leaf fungal endophytes (NLE) from symptom-free needle leaves of two host plants collected in Cavite and Batangas, Philippines. Seventy-three NLEs were isolated from three tree samples of the angiosperm Casuarina equisetifolia Engl. and the gymnosperm Pinus kesiya Royle ex Gordon, and they were identified as belonging to 17 morphospecies. Seven NLEs, predominantly isolated from C. equisetifolia, were evaluated for their antagonistic activities against three potential plant pathogens, namely Fusarium oxysporum s. l. Smith & Swingle, F. solani s. l. (Mart.) Sacc., and F. moniliforme s. l. J. Sheld., using the dual-culture method with three strategies. The results showed that the NLEs inhibited F. oxysporum on contact through preventive, eradicative, and simultaneous approaches, suggesting the potential of fungal endophytes as biocontrol agents against F. oxysporum s. l.

Citation
De Mesa RBC, Espinosa IR, Agcaoili MCRR, Calderon MAT, Pangilinan MVB, De Padua JC, dela Cruz TEE (2020) Antagonistic activities of needle-leaf fungal endophytes against Fusarium spp. MycoAsia 2020/06. https://doi.org/10.59265/mycoasia.2020-06

Submission History
Received: 11.09.2020
Accepted: 05.10.2020
Published: 05.10.2020

Editorial Team
Handling Editor: Dr. Mahadeva Kumar

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