The effectiveness of Xanthium strumamrium L. extract and Trichoderma spp. against pomegranate isolated pathogenic fungi in Taif, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is frequently affected by fungal infections during the pre-and post-harvesting periods, resulting in severe losses to the farming economy. The common pre-and post-harvest pomegranate pathogens affecting the final yield and quality of the fruits are Botrytis cinerea, Alternaria alternata, Penicillium implicatum, and Aspergillus niger. This study aimed to isolate and identify the pathogens causing pomegranate rot diseases. Also, the values of Xanthium strumarium extracts as eco-friendly control agents and three Trichoderma strains as biological control agents against the pomegranate fungal pathogen were determined. The plate dilution method was used to isolate fungi populations from pomegranate plants. The pathogens fungi were identified by the morphological and molecular method by sequenced of internal transcript spacer (ITS) region. The antifungal activities of X. strumarium extracted either by both ethanol or methanol and Trichoderma were investigated. The isolated and identified pathogens were P. implicatum, A. alternata, A. niger, Fusarium oxysporum, and F. chlamydosporum. The obtained sequences of these fungi were deposited in NCBI gene bank with accession numbers OK562113–OK562125. The efficiency of X. strumarium extract against pomegranate fungal pathogens ranged from 40.32 to 69.53% for ethanol extract and from 44.40 to 70.28% for methanol extract compared to 44.43%–85.71% for the antifungal Nystatin. Moreover, the efficiency of Trichoderma was 42.22%–72.50%, 42.30%–70.21%, and 44.54%–72.50% for strains ABSA-16, TSA-17, and ABSA-18, respectively. It could be concluded that the isolated pomegranate's pathogenic fungi in Taif were P. implicatum, A. alternata, A. niger, F. oxysporum, and F. chlamydosporum. The extract of X. strumarium obtained from the Taif region and Trichoderma can successfully assist control the pomegranate's pathogenic fungi at pre-and post-harvest, and hence can be successfully included in the IPM programs.