Biological control of important rice pathogens using endophytic fungi isolated from aerobic rice

Rice is most important grains consumed by the people of the world. Blast disease and crown and root rot are two important fungal diseases of rice. Endophytic fungi are biological control agents plant diseases and improve growth in the host plant. For this purpose, endophytic fungal isolates and pathogenic isolates from leaves, pods, stems and roots of aerobic rice plants of Golestan province were isolated and identified morphologically and molecularly. Then, their antagonistic activity against Magnaporthe oryzae and Fusarium fujikuroi disease were investigated by three methods, dual culture, volatile metabolites and non–volatile metabolites. The results showed that, in dual culture method, the F. incarnatum had the highest inhibition rate against the growth of M. oryzae and F. fujikuroi, with 58.64 and 60.03% inhibition, respectively. In volatile metabolites method, E. nigrum with 57.13% and F. incarnatum with 52.24% inhibition showed the highest percentage of inhibition of F. fujikuroi. In the method of non–volatile metabolites, F. incarnatum and F. proliferatum showed the highest percentage of inhibiting the growth of M. oryzae with 62.27 and 57.96%, respectively. F. incarnatum showed antagonistic activity in three dual culture, volatile metabolites and non–volatile metabolites against M. oryzae and F. fujikuroi fungi. Also, in this experiment, isolates of F. proliferatum and F. incarnatum inhibited the blast disease and crown rot and increased the height and fresh weight of the shoots and roots of rice plants under greenhouse conditions.incarnatum showed antagonistic activity in three dual culture, volatile metabolites and non-volatile metabolites against M. oryzae and F. fujikuroi fungi. Also, in this experiment, isolates of F. proliferatum and F. incarnatum inhibited the blast disease and crown rot and increased the height and fresh weight of the shoots and roots of rice plants under greenhouse conditions.