Abstract
Fusarium oxysporum MT0062 isolated from the root of tomato induced suppressiveness to Fusarium wilt of tomato. F. oxysporum MT0062 was not pathogenic to several plants known as the host of F. oxysporum. The bud cell of F. oxysporum MT0062 was easily produced on the novel semi-synthetic medium based on black strap molasses in a jarfermentor. Protective effect of F. oxysporum MT0062 formulated with a zeolite material rose to the maximum when it was pre-treated on the surface of the nursery soil 7-14 days before transplanting the tomato seedlings to the soil infested with F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici race J1. The magnitude of protective effect was corresponding to the frequency of isolation of F. oxysporum MT0062 from the root of tomato. In the case of tomato seedlings double-treated with the MT0062-formula 10 days before and at the time of transplanting, protective effect against Fusarium wilt of tomato and Verticillium wilt of eggplant was demonstrated for more than 60 days after transplanting into the infested soil with F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici under greenhouse condition. Furthermore, F. oxysporum MT0062 showed protective effect on Verticillium wilt of eggplant. These results suggested that non-pathogenic F. oxysporum MT0062 was effective in reducing some of the wilt incidences in solanaceous crops such as Fusarium wilt of tomato and Verticillium wilt of eggplant.
