Occurrence of Sclerotinia Foliage Blight Disease of Cucumber and Pepper Plants under Protected Cultivation System in Egypt II. Bio-Control Measures against Sclerotinia Spp. in Vitro

Abstract

Severe outbreaks of stem or fruit rot symptoms with sclerotial formation were observed as first occurrence during a disease survey of cucumber and pepper crops during the cool season, 2011 in the Protected Cultivation Station, Ministry of Agriculture located at Tookh province, Qalubiya governorate, Egypt. This disease appears during the growing season at the seedling or mature stages of plant growth. Recently, interest has been shown in combining microbial biocontrol agents with other chemical components to increase their activity against plant pathogens. To reach the proposed aim determination of the efficacy of some plant-derived essential oils, plant resistance inducers and plant extracts in combination with biocontrol agents against the growth of Sclerotinia foliage blight pathogens S. sclerotiorum and S. minor was carried out under in vitro conditions. The obtained results in the present study has shown the potential of tested materials as effective inhibitors against pathogenic fungi when combined factors with antagonistic bioagents.