Comparative Study of Biological and Chemical Control for Fusarium Wilt in Tomato

Abstract

Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol), severely affects tomato crops worldwide. This study evaluated the effectiveness of chemical and biological control methods on the susceptible tomato variety A-Z-54-F1, under laboratory and field conditions. Four Fol isolates (F1–F4) were obtained from infected tomato fields, while Bacillus subtilis was isolated from rhizosphere soil and Trichoderma harzianum was obtained from Tasneem Company. In vitro, Hemixazol completely inhibited Fol growth (100%), followed by B. subtilis (64.53%) and T. harzianum (47.97%). Field experiments showed Hemixazol significantly reduced infection rate from 70% to 10% and severity from 81% to 15%, achieving the highest control efficacy (81.48%). B. subtilis and T. harzianum reduced infection to 26% and 30%, respectively, and reduced severity to 31% and 44%, respectively, with control efficacies of 61.73% and 45.68%, respectively. Hemixazol was the most effective, though biological agents also offered promising protection. It can be concluded that both chemical and biological treatments can reduce the incidence of Fusarium wilt disease on tomato plants.