Brazilian Journal of Enviromnent
Open Access Journal
CiteScore
0.5
Indexada na
SCOPUS
QUALIS
B3
2017-2021
quadriênio
Open Access Journal
0.5
Indexada na
SCOPUS
B3
2017-2021
quadriênio
White mold, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is a devastating disease that affects various agricultural crops, reducing both productivity and the quality of production. Its persistence in the soil is due to the formation of sclerotia, resistance structures that ensure the fungus’s viability for long periods. Biological control has emerged as a sustainable and effective alternative for managing this phytopathology. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of different Bacillus spp. species and the fungus Trichoderma harzianum in inhibiting the growth of S. sclerotiorum. To achieve this, in vitro assays were conducted using Petri dishes containing TSA and BDA culture media, where the microbial isolates were inoculated and monitored for inhibition of fungal mycelial growth. The experimental design was completely randomized, with four replications per treatment. The percentage of fungal growth was determined by comparing the average colony diameters in biological treatments and control. The effectiveness of the agents was evaluated based on the reduction in the average diameter of fungal colonies. The results showed that the combination of three Bacillus species (B. amyloliquefaciens, B. pumilus, and B. subtilis) was significantly more efficient than the B. amyloliquefaciens isolate, increasing the inhibition of fungal growth from 63.5% to 71.6%. The Bacillus treatments also presented variable inhibition halos, with average fungal growth values lower compared to the control, statistically differing from it (15 to 20 mm). On the other hand, T. harzianum demonstrated greater efficiency in direct inhibition through mycoparasitism, reducing S. sclerotiorum growth by 46%, while the Bacillus spp. strains mainly acted through the production of antifungal metabolites. It is concluded that the application of these microorganisms may represent a promising strategy for the sustainable management of white mold.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Luciana de Paiva Santos Abreu, Ana Laura Soares Gomes, Thyenny Gleysse Castro Silva, Araceli Belén Pintos Olmedo, Maryana Oliveira Azevedo