Biological control of Fusarium wilt of cucumber with nonpathogenic isolates of Fusarium oxysporum

Abstract

Nonpathogenic isolates of Fusarium oxysporum were obtained from surface-disinfested, symptomless cucumber roots grown in two raw (nonautoclaved) soils. These isolates were screened for pathogenicity and biological control activity against Fusarium wilt of cucumber in raw soil infested with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum (F.o.c.). The influence of three isolates effective in inducing suppressiveness and three ineffective isolates on disease incidence over time was tested. The effective isolates reduced the infection rate (R), based on linear regressions of data transformed to log_e (1/1 – y). Effective isolate C5 was added to raw soil infested with various inoculum densities of F.o.c. In treatments without C5, the increase in inoculum densities of F.o.c. decreased the incubation period of wilt disease, but there was no significant difference in infection rate among the inoculum density treatments. Isolate C5 reduced the infection rate at all inoculum densities of F.o.c. Various inoculum densities of C5 were added to raw soils infested with 1000 cfu/g of F.o.c. In the first trial, infection rates were reduced only in the treatment with 10 000 cfu/g of C5; in the second trial, infection rates were reduced in treatments with 10 000 and 30 000 cfu/g of C5.