Biological and botanical treatments as a dual control and biostimulation strategy for corn crops affected by Fusarium verticillioides
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29312/remexca.v17i5.4136Keywords:
Zea mays L., antagonistas, biocontrol, bioestimulación, incidenciaAbstract
Phytopathogenic fungi in staple cereals can affect not only productivity but also the health of those who consume them. The objective of this research was to determine the antifungal activity of Trichoderma harzianum and Bacillus subtilis, as well as the hydroalcoholic extracts of Larrea tridentata and Argemone mexicana against Fusarium verticillioides under laboratory and field conditions. In vitro inhibition in dual cultures against the phytopathogen ranged from 82 to 86% for T. harzianum, B. subtilis, and L. tridentata; in contrast, for A. mexicana, it was 18%. The treatments reduced the incidence in the harvested grain by more than 70% in treated plants compared to the control. The application of treatments with T. harzianum, B. subtilis, A. mexicana, L. tridentata and a combination of T. harzianum and B. subtilis achieved a significant increase in plant height, which is directly related to the leaf area index; this resulted in optimal grain filling compared to the control; as a result, the yield potential of the Hernán Cortés hybrid was significantly expressed, with the botanical extracts outperforming the control and the microorganisms themselves, resulting in greater ear weight. Molecular corroboration of the phytopathogenic strain indicated 99% identity with F. verticillioides contained in the GenBank database.
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