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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. sp5 (2026): Recent Advances in Agriculture

Investigation on the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria against wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense in banana

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.15039
Submitted
16 April 2026
Published
21-09-2026

Abstract

Fusarium wilt of banana is a significant limitation to banana production in many countries around the globe, which is caused by  Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc). This research was intended to determine the good performance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) as sustainable biocontrol agents against Foc. Disease prevalence was recorded to be 10 and 48 % across large areas of Trichy district as indicated by a field survey done in major banana-producing regions. Microbial analysis in the rhizosphere resulted in habitation of two predominant AM fungal species, Acaulospora laevis and Glomus intraradices, along with several isolates of PGPR. Bacillus tequilensis was found to have better plant growth-promoting properties and strong antagonistic activity against Foc under in vitro conditions in comparison to the other strains of the PGPR. In vivo analysis showed that the combined inoculation of AMF and PGPR produced significant improvements in plant growth parameters such as the plant height and the number of leaves in comparison to the uninoculated control group. It is important to note that the combined treatment (A. laevis + B. tequilensis) significantly lowered disease incidence, in comparison to control plants. Biochemical tests also showed improved activity of defence activities like peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase as well as improved phenolic content, which suggested systemic induced resistance. The research determines that the combination of AMF and PGPR is an effective and environmentally friendly approach of controlling the Fusarium wilt disease in banana.

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