Efficacy of compost and some biocontrol agents in controlling cucumber white mould disease under protected house conditions

Abstract EN

Five different Trichoderma isolates and three different bacterial genera (Serratia marcescens, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas fluorescens) were used in the present study either separately or combined with compost to evaluate their biocontrol potential against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum either in vitro or in vivo.

The results showed that all tested bioagents significantly affected the radial growth of the pathogen under laboratory conditions.

The highest reduction (61.85% ) was detected with isolates T.

asperellum followed by T.

album which inhibited the radial growth by 60.74% .

The combination between T.

viride + T.

asperellum + T.

album was the most effective in reducing disease severity during both seasons and increased yield up to 2.5 kg/plant.

 The influence of the tested biocontrol fungi and bacteria on essential lysis enzymes activity i.

e.

chitinase and Beta 1, 3- glucanase was investigated.

The results showed that both tested fungal and bacterial agents alone or combined with compost affected the activity of both enzymes positively.

Similar findings were observed with aspect to three different oxidative enzymes activity i.

e.

peroxidase (PO), polyphenoloxidase (PPO) and phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL).

The profiling of peroxidase activity was induced in treated cucumber plants.

Moreover, the results revealed that treating cucumber plants with the investigated bioagents expressed new protein bands.