In vitro and in vivo toxicity of fungicides and biofungicides for the control of verticillium and fusarium wilt of pepper

A survey of in vitro and in vivo sensitivity of Verticillium dahliae and Fusarium oxysporum to several commercial fungicides and biofungicides was undertaken. In in vitro assays, the tested isolate of V. dahliae proved to be very sensitive to difenoconazole (EC50 = 0.02 mg/l). However, under greenhouse conditions, the highest efficacy in V. dahliae control on inoculated pepper plants was recorded for a product based on thiophanate-methyl (83.10% compared to control). Among the tested fungicides, the lowest efficacy was recorded for a product based on azoxystrobin (23.10 %) with no significant difference compared to control (p > 0.05). In in vitro assays, the tested F. oxysporum isolate was the most sensitive to prochloraz (EC50 = 0.07 mg/l) and the least sensitive to fluopyram (EC50 = 1075.01 mg/l). In in vivo assay, the highest efficacy was achieved by products based on captan (95.60%), and the lowest by a product based on thiophanate-methyl (54.40%). Antagonistic activity of the bacterium B. subtilis under laboratory conditions was not satisfying. Also, the antifungal activity and spectrum of a tested product based on tee tree oil was not efficient in suppressing pepper wilting caused by V. dahliae and F. oxysporum.