Antagonistic test of endophytic bacteria against the fungal pathogen Fusarium sp. in citrus plants

This study aimed to determine the inhibitory ability of endophytic bacteria isolated from citrus roots against the pathogenic fungus Fusarium sp. under in vitro conditions. The antagonistic assay was conducted using the dual culture method. A total of 16 endophytic bacterial isolates were tested against Fusarium sp. The results showed that approximately 12.5% of the isolates exhibited strong inhibition, 12.5% showed moderate inhibition, while the majority demonstrated weak inhibition at 62.5%. Several isolates even showed negative values, indicating that the fungal growth was faster than the control. Strong inhibition percentages were observed in isolates NG7 and NG5, with inhibition levels of 84.33% and 66.67%, respectively. This study provides preliminary information on the potential use of endophytic bacteria as biocontrol agents against Fusarium wilt disease in citrus plants.