Sustainable Control of Fusarium verticillioides in Wheat Using Plant Extracts and Microorganisms

Fusarium verticillioides is frequently reported as the major pathogen in maize production; however, it has not been previously identified as a causal agent of Fusarium head blight in wheat in Algeria. The aims of this work are to study the pathogenicity of a Fusarium verticillioides strain isolated from wheat grains and to perform preliminary assays to control this pathogen using plant extracts from Rosmarinus officinalis, Origanum vulgare and Eucalyptus globulus, and three microorganisms (Akanthomyces muscarius, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Pantoea agglomerans). The identity of the strain was confirmed using morphological and molecular methods. The pathogenicity tests were carried out using both durum and bread wheat grains. The agar dilution method was used to evaluate the antifungal activity of the extracts, while the direct confrontation method was used to assess the antifungal activity of the three microorganisms. The results showed that the strain was pathogenic to both durum and bread wheat. Aqueous extracts showed low inhibition rates (14 to 47%), while ethanolic extracts had higher inhibition rates (52 to 65%). Direct confrontation tests revealed inhibition rates of 55% and 52% for A. muscarius and P. fluorescens, respectively. The fungus A. muscarius was also shown to be able to reduce the symptoms of F. verticillioides in antagonism tests using wheat seeds. The ethanolic extracts of the three plants, A. muscarius, and P. fluorescens may offer alternative solutions to the use of fungicides.