The inhibitory growth of Fusarium oxysporum fsp lycopersici, the causal agent of tomato fusarium wilt by essential oils in comparison of Trichoderma antagonist fungus

Tomato Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum fsp lycopersici is an important disease to tropical regions and sandy soils of Iran. In this study, the effect of essential oils of thyme, zynan, fennel and antagonist fungus of Tricoderma harzianum (Th-va-104) evaluated on the colony growth rate and growth inhibition in seven concentrations of 100-1000 ppm on PDA medium in vitro. The minimum percentage of inhibitory growth (Ec50) determined in essences of thyme, zynan and fennel with 83.95, 62/685, and 59.97% respectively. Tricoderma showed the maximum inhibition of fungal mycelial growth of F. oxysporum fsp lycopersici as 78.53% followed by thyme. The effect of thyme, Fennel and zynan essential oils at the concentration of 0.5 and 1, Fungicide (Iprodione+Carbendazim 52.5% WP) by concentrations of 1.5 and Tricoderma were evaluated in a completely randomized block design in greenhouse experiments. The essential oils were incorporated with potting soil with planting seedlings and Trichoderma fungus simultaneously in three days before transplanting. The percentage of disease severity index was assessed four weeks after inoculation. The results demonstrated that the disease index severity of thyme and Trichoderma by 2.6 and 2.06 respectively were placed in the closest disease index to check. The root area fresh and dry of thyme treatment (1.53, 2 gr), shoot area weight mean (13.19, 1.82) and the root area fresh and dry of Trichoderma (1.79, 0.27 gr) and shoot area weight mean (12.77, 1.63 gr), respectively were classified in the similar statistical groups with check.