Penicillium citrinum VFI-51 as biocontrol agent to control charcoal rot of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench)

Abstract

In our earlier investigation, a fungal isolate Penicillium citrinum VFI-51 and its secondary metabolite was reported to have antagonistic potential against Botrytis cinerea, the causative agent of Botrytis gray mold disease in chickpea. In the present investigation, P. citrinum VFI-51 was further evaluated for its antagonistic potential against Macrophomina phaseolina, the causative agent of charcoal rot in sorghum. P. citrinum VFI-51 inhibited M. phaseolina in both dual culture as well as secondary metabolite production assays. In the in vivo blotter paper assay, under light chamber conditions, P. citrinum VFI-51 controlled 85% of the charcoal rot disease on the roots when compared to the positive control. Under greenhouse conditions, when M. phaseolina was inoculated by tooth pick method in to the stalk of sorghum plant, the charcoal rot disease was controlled by 75% in P. citrinum VFI-51 treatment over the positive control. This study demonstrates the biocontrol potential of P. citrinum VFI-51 against charcoal rot of sorghum.

Hongos asociados a la pudrición seca de tubérculos de ñame (Dioscorea rotundata Poir.) en Córdoba, Colombia

“…Penicillium citrinum ha sido reportado en girasol (Helianthus annuus) como un hongo endófito, que protege al cultivo de enfermedades. Este hongo produce metabolitos activos con potencial antifúngico, insecticida y antimicrobiano (Waqas et al, 2015) y como controlador biológico, debido a la producción de janthinell, una toxina que ataca patógenos responsables de la pudrición de la raíz y de la podredumbre del sorgo (Sorghum bicolor) (Sreevidya & Gopalakrishnan, 2016). Trichoderma lixii, aunque ha sido aislado de tubérculos de ñame en etapa de podredumbre (Ezeibekwe et al, 2016), es un género de hongo reportado en la literatura como un agente antagónico, benéfico o biocontrolador (Montiel et al, 2016).…”