Exploring Fungal Candidates from Aromatic Rhizosphere as Biological Controls Against Three Pyricularia oryzae Haplotypes.

<b>Background and Objective:</b> Blast disease (<i>Pyricularia oryzae</i>) is a major disease-causing yield losses in rice crops worldwide. Disease control using resistant varieties is less effective due to the high genetic variation in <i>P. oryzae</i> populations in the field and the use of synthetic fungicides hurts the diversity of biological agents. This study aims to explore fungi in the rhizosphere of organic aromatic rice in North Luwu Regency that can utilized as biological control agents against three haplotypes of <i>P. oryzae</i>. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> Isolation of rhizosphere fungi using serial dilution method and scatter plate method. The identification of fungi based on microscopic and macroscopic characteristics. Genotype test of 15 <i>P. oryzae</i> isolates used gene-based markers related to virulence traits, namely Erg2 (1,440 bp), Pwl2 (900 bp) and Cut1 (1,730 bp). Amplified DNA bands that appeared were scored as 1 (present) and 0 (absent). <b>Results:</b> Exploring organic rice rhizosphere fungi in North Luwu Regency found potential biological control agents against three <i>P. oryzae</i> haplotypes on local varieties: Juvenile and Bandarata. Twelve fungal isolates from the rhizosphere of aromatic rice were successfully isolated and six antagonistic fungal isolates were able to inhibit the growth of <i>P. oryzae</i> haplotypes C-011, D-111 and F-110. <i>Trichoderma</i> spp., isolates had the highest inhibition percentage of 72-90%, followed by <i>Penicillium </i>sp., 1 with an inhibition percentage of 62-82%. <b>Conclusion:</b> Twelve fungal isolates from the rhizosphere of aromatic rice were successfully isolated and six antagonistic fungal isolates were able to inhibit the growth of <i>P. oryzae</i> haplotypes C-011, D-111 and F-110.