Biological control of rice Bakanae disease caused by using some endophytic fungi

The objective of the current study was to isolate and identify the fungal endophytes of rice as the effective and safe alternatives to use indtead of  chemical fungicides for controlling rice Bakanae disease caused by Fusarium fujikuroi. Fungal endophytes obtained from leaf, stem, sheath and root samples of rice plants in paddy fields. The fungal isolates screened against aggressive strain of F. fujikuroi F257in dual culture tests and the most effective endophytes were selected for greenhouse experiments. Rice seedlings were treated with the fungal endophytes and F. fujikuroi F257 isolate. Disease incidence and growth parameters were measured. The lowest Bakanae incidences were recorded using Chaetomium globosum NR-R688 and C. globosum NR-SH321 strains as 2% (with 97.4% disease control) and by NR-L243 Penicillium sp. and Fusarium sp. NR-L645 as 6% (with 92.3% disease control). In addition, these four fungal endophytes significantly promoted the growth parameters of rice seedlings compared to the control. According to the results of this study, fungal endophytes of rice could be applied as the potential biocontrol agents of Bakanae disease and plant growth promoter, but more research is needed for developing them in the future.