Antifungal ability of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin against Curvularia lunata causing leaf spot of rice

Abstract

Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin, a white muscardine fungus has widely drawn attention of crop protection practitioners as potential biocontrol agent against insect-pests since decades. In the present study, antagonistic potential of 53 native isolates of B. bassiana were evaluated against Curvularia lunata causing leaf spot as well as seed borne disease of rice. Results showed that all B. bassiana isolates were able to inhibit mycelial growth of C. lunata to the extent of 50-63.33% through varied mechanisms viz., competition and diffusible non-volatile metabolites. However, potential isolates of B. bassiana also exhibited inhibition of mycelial growth of C. lunata to the maximum up to 67.78% through release of volatile inhibitory metabolites. These findings provide substantial evidences on multifarious potential of B. bassiana as plant disease antagonist in addition to a potential entomopathogen, thus paves the way of a newer domain in the arena of crop protection.