<i>Chlorella vulgaris</i> and <i>Tetradesmus obliquus</i> Protect Spinach (<i>Spinacia oleracea</i> L.) against <i>Fusarium oxysporum</i>
2024
Catarina Viana | Méanne Genevace | Florinda Gama | Luísa Coelho | Hugo Pereira | João Varela | Mário Reis
<i>Chlorella vulgaris</i> and <i>Tetradesmus obliquus</i> were tested as biocontrol agents against the phytopathogenic fungus <i>Fusarium oxysporum</i>. This evaluation was conducted through in vitro and in vivo trials with spinach (<i>Spinacia oleracea</i> L.). The in vitro trials showed that <i>C. vulgaris</i> and <i>T. obliquus</i> were able to inhibit the phytopathogen, showing a similar inhibitory effect to that of the positive controls (Rovral, BASF<sup>®</sup> and Biocontrol T34, Biocontrol Technologies<sup>®</sup> S.L.). <i>C. vulgaris</i> aqueous suspensions at 3.0 g L<sup>−1</sup> led to a hyphal growth of 0.55 cm, each corresponding to a reduction of 63% of fungal growth. With <i>T. obliquus</i>, the hyphal growth was 0.53 cm when applied at a concentration of 0.75 g L<sup>−1</sup>, having an inhibition of fungus growth of 64%. Thereafter, these results were validated in an in vivo trial on spinach using the same controls. The results revealed a lower severity and disease incidence and a reduction in the disease’s AUDPC (area under the disease progress curve) when spinach was treated with the microalgae suspensions. Overall, these findings highlight the potential of <i>C. vulgaris</i> and <i>T. obliquus</i> suspensions as promising biocontrol agents against <i>F. oxysporum</i> in spinach when applied through irrigation.
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