Antifungal potential of biosurfactants produced by strains of Bacillus mojavensis PS17 against pathogens of the genera Fusarium and Verticillium

Abstract

Phytopathogenic fungi cause significant damage to agriculture, reducing or destroying the crop. There are several ways to control fungal diseases, such as the use of disease-resistant plant varieties, organic farming, and the use of fungicides. One of the methods of combating phytopathogens is the use of biological products, one of which is biosurfactants. Biosurfactants are surfactants produced in the course of life. They are able to reduce fungal growth and increase plant disease resistance, improve plant growth and yield, and act as adjuvants to improve wetting and solubility of fertilizers. In the course of this work, the fungicidal activity of biosurfactants formed by Bacillus mojavensis PS17 was assessed against pathogens of the genera Fusarium and Verticillium. It has been established that the biosurfactant is able to reduce the coverage area of Fusarium and Verticillium fungi in in vitro experiments by 39 and 43%. Thus, it can be concluded that the biosurfactant produced by Bacillus mojavensis PS17 has antifungal activity.