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The Wheat Endophyte <i>Epicoccum layuense</i> J4-3 Inhibits <i>Fusarium graminearum</i> and Enhances Plant Growth
oleh: Clement Nzabanita, Lihang Zhang, Yanfei Wang, Shuangchao Wang, Lihua Guo
| Format: | Article |
|---|---|
| Diterbitkan: | MDPI AG 2023-12-01 |
Deskripsi
Fungal endophytes are well-known for their ability to promote plant growth and hinder fungal diseases, including Fusarium head blight (FHB) caused by <i>Fusarium graminearum</i>. This study aimed to characterize the biocontrol efficacy of strain J4-3 isolated from the stem of symptomless wheat collected from Heilongjiang Province, China. It was identified as <i>Epicoccum layuense</i> using morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of the rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and beta-tubulin (<i>TUB</i>). In a dual culture assay, strain J4-3 significantly inhibited the mycelial growth of <i>F. graminearum</i> strain PH-1 and other fungal pathogens. In addition, wheat coleoptile tests showed that lesion symptoms caused by <i>F. graminearum</i> were significantly reduced in wheat seedlings treated with hyphal fragment suspensions of strain J4-3 compared to the controls. Under field conditions, applying spore suspensions and culture filtrates of strain J4-3 with conidial suspensions of <i>F. graminearum</i> on wheat spikes resulted in the significant biocontrol efficacy of FHB. In addition, wheat seedlings previously treated with spore suspensions of strain J4-3 before sowing successfully resulted in FHB reduction after the application of conidial suspensions of <i>F. graminearum</i> at anthesis. More importantly, wheat seedlings treated with hyphal fragments and spore suspensions of strain J4-3 showed significant increases in wheat growth compared to the controls under greenhouse and field conditions. Overall, these findings suggest that <i>E. layuense</i> J4-3 could be a promising biocontrol agent (BCA) against <i>F. graminearum</i>, causing FHB and a growth-promoting fungus in wheat.