Utilization of Endophites Fungi in Inhibiting the Growth of Ustilaginoidea virens (Cooke) Takahashi Causes False Smut Disease in Rice Plants invitro

Abstract

False smut disease in rice is caused by the fungus Ustilaginoidea virens (Cooke) Takahashi, a sporadic pathogen attack in the field, with symptoms of yellow grain which turns black over time. The number of endophytic fungi on the leaves was 15 isolates with the highest prevalence, namely Aspergillus flavus of 40%, as well as the highest endophytic on fruit by 80% and the highest endophytic on stem by Rhizopus sp. by 55%. The diversity index (H') of endophytic fungi on leaves was 1.332, the evenness uniformity index (E) was 0.272 and the dominance index (D) was 0.72. In fruit endophytes the H' index was 0.500, the E value was 0.273 and the D value was 0.32. For endophytic stems, the H' value was 0.959, the E value was 0.254 and the D value was 0.58. Inhibition test of endophytic fungi on leaves only inhibited A. flavus by 80 ± 0.2% and Rhizopus sp. by 70 ± 0.3%. The endophytic fungi on fruit were only A. flavus which inhibited by 78 ± 0.5%, while the inhibition of endophytic fungi on stems, A. flavus and Rhizopus sp. can inhibit each by 80 ± 0.4% and 80 ± 1.2%.