Antifungal Effects of Different Commercial Products Against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense TR4 Causing Fusarium Wilt of Banana

Abstract

Banana production is seriously threatened by Fusarium wilt, also known as Panama disease worldwide. Regulatory control and the use of biological control agent, Trichoderma harzianum showed to be effective in minimizing the development and spread of the disease in the area. Some studies also showed the potential of some commercially-available fungicides in managing the disease. In this study, different commercial products applied singly and in combinations were evaluated against FocTR4 causing Fusarium wilt of banana and the most effective treatment combinations for the management of FocTR4 was determined under in vitro test condition. Treatments used in the experiment were as follows: T1- Control; T2- B. subtilis alone; T3-Fosetyl-Aluminum alone; T4-Fluopyram alone; T5- B. subtilis + Fosetyl-Aluminum; T6-B. subtilis + Fluopyram; T7-Fosetyl-Aluminum + Fluopyram and T8- B. subtilis + Fosetyl-Aluminum + Fluopyram. The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications. Data were statistically analyzed using the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and the treatment means were compared using Tukey’s Honest Significant Difference (HSD). Results of the study showed that treatments of B. subtilis in combinations with Fosetyl-Al or Fluopyram and the combinations of these three products had totally inhibited and killed FocTR4. Single treatment of Fosetyl-Al and the combinations of the products had totally inhibited the growth and spore production of FocTR4 however, validation test revealed that Fosetyl-Al alone and its combination to Fluopyram induces chlamydospore production instead of killing the pathogen.