Effectiveness of the chemical stabilizers of fungal antagonist, Talaromyces flavus in biological control of tomato and greenhouse cucumber Rhizoctonia-induced seedling damping-off disease

Fungal antagonist, Talaromyces flavus, is one of the most important biocontrol agents of soil borne plant diseases including seedling damping-off. In this research, to increase the effectiveness of T. flavus isolates obtained from cucumber greenhouses and tomato fields, five chemical stabilizers were tested. Based on the results of the previous studies, the most effective substrate for the growth, sporulation and stability of T. flavus isolates related to the above-mentioned plants was a mixture of rice bran and peat-moss. For each plant, the greenhouse experiment was performed as randomized complete blocks with seven treatments and three replications. Experimental treatments included five different stabilizers (aminophenol, D- cycloserine, magnesium sulfate, carboxymethyl cellulose, and sodium nitrate), infected control and healthy control. The final evaluation of different treatments was based on the number of healthy plants. The overall results of this study, indicted that T. flavus inocula containing sodium nitrate, D- cycloserine, and carboxymethyl cellulose were more effective than aminophenol and magnesium sulfate in controlling seedling damping-off disease.