Control of Fusarium crown and root rot of tomato in a soil system by combination of a plant growth-promoting fungus, Fusarium equiseti, and biodegradable pots

A combination of Fusarium equiseti GF191 and biodegradable pots (BPs) was tested for its ability to control Fusarium crown and root rot (FCRR) of tomato caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici (FORL) in soil during long-term cultivation. The protective effect of F. equiseti isolate GF191 with BPs, based on the discoloration of vascular tissue (cortex/xylem) was 58% 131 d after transplanting when using BPs to grow seedlings (experiment 1). When BPs were used at the time of transplanting into pathogen-infested soil in order to extend the separation time of tomato roots from the pathogen, the protective effects of GF191 and BPs further increased, reaching 81% and 87% 149 and 135 d after transplanting in experiments 2 and 3, respectively. Population levels of FORL in tomato roots and stems and in soil around roots treated with GF191 and using BPs were lower than those of the control (not inoculated with F. equiseti and BPs not used).