Enhancement of Peanut Plant Resistance to Damping-Off and Stem Rot Caused by Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc. in Peat Soil

Abstract

Peatlands have high agronomic potential for peanut cultivation, but are susceptible to stem rot disease caused by Sclerotium rolfsii. The use of synthetic fungicides to control this pathogen poses ecological risks and is less effective in the long term due to the pathogen's ability to form sclerotia that are resistant to extreme conditions. As a sustainable alternative, biological control with antagonistic microorganisms such as Trichoderma asperellum and Bacillus sp. offers an environmentally friendly solution. This study aimed to evaluate the synergy between Trichoderma asperellum, Bacillus sp., and Rhizobium sp. in increasing peanut resistance to S. rolfsii in peat soil. The study used a Completely Randomized Design with eight treatments and three replications, analyzed using SPSS and a 5% LSD test. The results showed that the application of a combination of biocontrol agents significantly reduced the incidence of damping-off, extended the incubation period, and reduced the incidence and severity of the disease, although it did not significantly affect the number of soil microbial colonies. The combination treatment of Rhizobium sp., Trichoderma asperellum, and Bacillus sp. provides the best results in suppressing pathogen attacks and increasing the resistance of peanut plants. he combined treatment yielded the best outcome in this pot experiment on peat soil, but results may vary under different environmental conditions. Field validation is needed to confirm consistency.