Enhancing the control of Bayoud disease in date palm through the inhibitory effect of Trichoderma asperellum and endomycorrhizae
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1
Laboratory of Botany, Mycology, and Environment and Valorization of Plant and Fungal
Resources, Mohammed V University, Faculty of Sciences, Rabat, Morocco.
2
Laboratoire des productions végétales, animales et agro-industrielles, Université Ibn Tofail, Faculté des sciences, Kénitra, Maroc.
These authors had equal contribution to this work
Corresponding author
Smail Abdellaoui
Laboratory of Botany, Mycology, and Environment and Valorization of Plant and Fungal
Resources, Mohammed V University, Faculty of Sciences, Rabat, Morocco.
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ABSTRACT
Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. albedinis is the causal agent of vascular wilt of date palms (Bayoud). This study evaluated the effectiveness of a biological control approach combining arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and Trichoderma asperellum against this pathogen. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design using two date palm varieties (Najda and Bouzekri), each subjected to four treatments: control, Fusarium-inoculated, Fusarium + T. asperellum, Fusarium + AMF, and Fusarium + T. asperellum + AMF.
The results demonstrated that the combined treatment with AMF and T. asperellum significantly reduced disease severity, with stunting indices decreasing to 6.5–7.9% compared with 48–56% in the controls, while markedly enhancing plant growth. Successful mycorrhizal colonization was confirmed by the presence of characteristic symbiotic structures, with maximum colonization frequencies reaching 95% for the Najda variety and 80% for Bouzekri. The dual inoculation completely suppressed F. oxysporum in the stipes (0% re-isolation) and reduced its presence in the roots to 10–20%.
This treatment also led to strong growth stimulation, with root length and leaf number increasing by 67–100% and total biomass multiplying by five. The slightly better performance of Najda (20% residual pathogens vs. 10% for Bouzekri) indicates varietal differences in response to the biocontrol agents. Overall, the synergistic action between AMF and T. asperellum offers an efficient, sustainable, and environmentally friendly strategy for controlling Bayoud disease and enhancing date palm vigor.