In vitro studies of the antagonistic effect of selected fungi on Bipolaris sorokiniana (Sacc.) Shoem.

Natural protection of plants against diseases, pests and environmental stresses is the only acceptable alternative to the progressive application of chemicals in plant production. Amidst evolving climatic patterns, various diseases pose significant threats to crop plant production. Among these concerns, a prominent menace across multiple regions of the world is seedling blight, incited by the pathogenic agent Bipolaris sorokiniana Sacc. The antagonistic effect may occur in/on the host itself or in its vicinity in the case of saprotrophic organisms. B. sorokiniana attacks many species of crop plants, especially in warmer growing areas and causes significant losses of field emergence and yield. This study aimed to assess the inhibitory impact of selected microscopic fungi on the growth and development of B. sorokiniana through dual-culture experiments. The study also aimed to identify potential fungal candidates for the biocontrol of seedling blight caused by this pathogen. The outcomes demonstrated that only several of the fungi subjected to testing had a noteworthy influence on the growth of B. sorokiniana. The presence of a few fungi species, such as Trichoderma viride, Fusarium graminearum, and Botrytis cinerea led to a decrease in B. sorokiniana growth by a minimum of 50%. In the instance of other fungi such as Sordaria fimicola, Epicoccum nigrum, Fusarium sporotrichioides, F. culmorum, and Nigrospora oryzae, the reduction amounted to at least 40%. The vast majority (75%) of the fungal species used in the test limited the growth of Bipolaris colonies by up to 39%.