The development of eco-friendly alternatives to chemical fungicides is crucial for sustainable plant disease management. In the present study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) were extracellularly biosynthesized using culture filtrates of two Trichoderma asperellum isolates (PDKVSNF3 and PDKVSNF5). Nanoparticle formation was confirmed by UV–Visible spectroscopy, with AgNPs exhibiting surface plasmon resonance peaks at 408–414 nm and ZnONPs showing characteristic absorption between 310 and 344 nm. FT-IR analysis revealed the involvement of fungal biomolecules, including proteins and phenolic compounds, in metal ion reduction and nanoparticle stabilization. HR-TEM analysis demonstrated predominantly spherical nanoparticles ranging from 1 to 70 nm, while DLS indicated larger hydrodynamic diameters due to biomolecular capping. The antifungal efficacy of the biosynthesized nanoparticles was evaluated against Rhizoctonia bataticola and Sclerotium rolfsii using the poison food technique. AgNPs derived from isolate PDKVSNF5 achieved complete inhibition (100%) of R. bataticola at 50 mg L −1 and moderate inhibition of S. rolfsii (58. 6%). Both AgNPs and ZnONPs synthesized from isolate PDKVSNF3 resulted in complete inhibition (100%) of both pathogens at 100 mg L −1, demonstrating a clear dose-dependent response. Comparative analysis revealed isolate-dependent variation in antifungal activity, with AgNPs exhibiting greater potency at lower concentrations. Overall, the findings highlight the potential of Trichoderma -mediated biogenic nanoparticles as promising eco-friendly nano-fungicidal agents for the sustainable management of soilborne plant pathogens.
Bangar et al. (Mon,) studied this question.