Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Agriculture - Department of Microbiology

A variety of fungal diseases (rot and wilt) affects tomato plants which causes economic damages. Therefore the present study aimed to identify the pathogenic fungi, evaluate biological and chemical methods controlling different tomato plant diseases. As well as obtaining new isolates that can be used in biocontrol. Therefore pathogenic fungi were isolated from diseased tomato plants and identified as Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani, Fusarium semitectum (soil-borne pathogens) and Alternaria alternata (as a foliage pathogen). Also, chaetomium globosum and Trichoderma harzianum were isolated from healthy tomato plants at the rhizospheric area. All plant sampls came from soil in Alexandria and Giza governorates. These isolates were evaluated as potential bio-agents in control of the soil-borne fungi. The antagonistic effect of T. harzianum and C. globosum as controlling bioagents was tested under laboratory conditions on each pathogen, T. harzianum showed remarkable superiority over the other one. T. harzianum was the most effective bio-agent against Fusarium spp. reducing their growth. The maximum growth reduction of 100% with F. semitectum. The three tested biocides; Bio Zeid, Bio Ark and Plant guard were evaluated in vitro in comparison with chemical fungicide (uniform 390 SE and Antracol WP 70%) and T. harzianum on growth of pathogenic isolates

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