Antagonistic Potential of Ascorbic Acid and SiO₂ Against Fusarium oxysporium, the Causative of Damping–off Disease in Melon Seedlings

Abstract

The results of the isolate detection of the fungus causing melon damping–off disease caused by the fungus (Fusarium spp.), revealed that all isolates were pathogenic. Isolate HF4 (with the highest infection percentage) had a pathogenicity in PDA media, exhibiting an infection percentage of 93% in the laboratory and 93.3% in the pots compared to the control treatment with no pathogen. The results of the antagonistic potential experiment against the pathogenic fungus F. oxysporium showed inhibition of fungal growth. The normal ascorbic acid at the concentration of 3000 mg.L-1 and ascorbic acid nanoparticles at the concentration of 1500 mg.L-1 achieved an inhibition percentage of 94.4% and 72.2%, respectively. Normal silicon dioxide (SiO2), at the concentration of 600 mg L-1, and silicon dioxide nanoparticles, at the concentration of 300 mg.L-1 inhibited the fungus by 30% and 29%, respectively. At the same time, the fungicide Beltanol showed 100% inhibition at a concentration of 1ml L-1.