Biological control of Xanthomonas translucens, the causal agent of bacterial leaf streak of wheat, by some endophytic fungi

Bacterial leaf streak disease, or black chaff, is one of the most important and damaging diseases of wheat worldwide. The impact of the disease on wheat and cereal production is increasing due to the lack of information and proper management methods to control it. Therefore, to develop an effective approach for managing this disease, the present study assessed the capability of fourteen strains of endophytic fungi to control this disease in laboratory and greenhouse conditions. The laboratory results revealed that volatile compounds produced by endophytic fungi significantly impacted the growth of pathogenic bacteria compared to the control. Furthermore, the greenhouse results indicated that all endophytic fungi significantly reduced the disease severity. A strain of Pleosporales sp. showed the highest efficiency in reducing disease severity, with a reduction of 59.03% compared to the infected control. Additionally, Fusarium moniliforme, Trichoderma virens, Trichoderma aerugineum, Clonostachys rosea, Arthrinium arundinis, and Epicoccum nigrum species showed favorable efficiency, reducing disease severity by 50.62%, 49.69%, 48.45%, 47.71%, 41.71%, and 41.67% respectively compared to the infected control. Furthermore, analysis of variance and mean comparison revealed that the effect of endophytic fungi on wheat growth parameters were strain depended. This report is the first to investigate the impact of various endophytic fungi on the control of bacterial leaf streak in wheat. In conclusion, endophytic fungi have great potential to be incorporated into the integrated management of Black Chaff disease and enhance the growth parameters of wheat.