%0 Journal Article
%T Control of Fusarium Wilt of Tomato Caused by Fusarium oxysporum F. Sp. Radicis-Lycopersici Using Mixture of Vegetable and Posidonia oceanica Compost
%A S. Kouki
%A N. Saidi
%A A. Ben Rajeb
%A M. Brahmi
%A A. Bellila
%A M. Fumio
%A A. Hefi¨¨ne
%A N. Jedidi
%A J. Downer
%A H. Ouzari
%J Applied and Environmental Soil Science
%D 2012
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2012/239639
%X A compost of vegetable waste and Posidonia oceanica mixture (70£¿:£¿30% vol£¿:£¿vol) was tested in vitro and in vivo for its efficacy against Fusarium oxysporum f.sp radicis-lycopersici (Forl), the causal agent of Fusarium wilt of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum cv. chourouk).The incorporation of non-sterilized VPC in the culture medium showed potent antifungal activity against Forl and complete inhibition of mycelium growth was observed for all the tested compost rates (0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 15 and 20%). However, only the highest rates (15 and 20%) of a sterilized suspension of VPC were effective in preventing mycelial growth. Nine indigenous bacterial strains isolated from VPC exhibited antagonism against Forl. Based on 16S rDNA sequence analysis, the isolates were assigned to Bacillus sphaericus (B12 and BS2), Pseudomonas putida PPS7 and Burkholderia gladioli BuC16. Under green house condition, seed inoculation by B12, BS2, PP7 and BuC16 strains protected significantly tomato against Fusarium oxysporum f.sp radicis-lycopersici (Forl) attacks. 1. Introduction During the last decades, various studies in Tunisia investigated the effects of organic composts as nutrient-rich amendments to correct mineral deficiencies of soils in a semiarid climate [1], In this context, we have conducted some studies, aimed to exploit the ability of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) as an organic feedstock to be transformed into compost as well as the mineralization of MSW when added to soil [1¨C3]. The evolution of microbial biomass was studied by [4, 5]. Application of composted Municipal Solid Waste Compost (MSWC) can lead to addition of potentially toxic heavy metals to Tunisian soils [6]. Some compost may also contaminate the soil with aflatoxins [7]. Other sources of organic matter could be used as alternatives to MSWC. In Tunisia vegetable garden waste was not considered for compost production. Also, the use of compost as a biocontrol agent able to limit some plant disease has not been reported from Tunisia. It is well known that compost offers a disease control alternative to fungicides [8]. The use of composts to suppress soil-borne plant pathogens has been extensively reviewed by several authors [9]. Different mechanisms have been postulated to control plant diseases by compost application such as competition for nutrients, antibiotic production by beneficial micro-organisms, activation of disease-resistance genes in plants [10], triggering systemically acquired resistance mechanisms [11] and compost obtained from heterogeneous vegetable wastes [12]. Pascual et al. [13]
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/aess/2012/239639/