Screening of Fungal Endophytes for their Biocontrol Potential against Rhizopus sp. Isolated from Diseased Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz)

Abstract:

The aim of this study was to screen for the bio-control potential of fungal endophytes isolated from cassava against a test pathogen of cassava. Fungal endophytes and pathogen were isolated and identified from healthy and diseased cassava respectively. The isolated fungal endophytes were screened for their biocontrol potential against a test pathogen using the dual culture and culture filtrate assay. Fusarium sp., Botryosphaeria sp., Colletotrichum sp., yeast isolate 1 and 2 were the isolated fungal endophytes while the pathogen was Rhizopus sp. The effect of endophytes on the mycelia growth of Rhizopus sp. using the dual culture assay indicated that yeast isolate 1 & 2 and Colletotrichum sp. were effective in inhibiting the mycelia growth of the test pathogen while Fusarium sp. and Botryosphaeria sp. were not effective. The co-culture of yeast isolate 2 with the test pathogen gave the lowest mycelia growth (1.66a±0.09) at day 2. The effect of endophytic culture filtrate on the mycelia growth of Rhizopus sp. showed that Fusarium sp. gave the lowest mycelia growth in the three days observed. The findings from this study suggested that the test endophytes have biocontrol potential against Rhizopus sp. The biocontrol abilities of the test endophytes vary using the dual culture and culture filtrate assay.