Fecha de publicación: -- Fuente: PubMed "plant biotechnology" Folia Microbiol (Praha). 2026 Nov 9. doi: 10.1007/s12223-026-01621-z. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTOkra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) is an economically important vegetable crop, with summer cultivation critical for early market supply. Seedling damping-off is an important constraint to okra establishment, and several fungal pathogens may be associated with the disease. This study evaluated the antagonistic and phytostimulatory potential of fungal endophytes against Rhizoctonia solani, a frequently recovered pathogen in the present survey. Field surveys conducted during April-June 2023 across Kangra, Mandi and Hamirpur districts recorded disease incidence ranging from 31.7 to 84.3%. Among 44 pathogenic isolates recovered from symptomatic plants, R. solani was the most frequently recovered taxon, accounting for 16 isolates (36.36%), and a representative isolate, JPO1, was selected for subsequent pathogenicity and biocontrol experiments. Further, forty-two fungal endophytes were screened for antagonism and plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits; eight isolates with strong activity were further characterized on morohological and ITS-based molecular identification as Coniothyrium sp. E1P, Xylaria juruensis E4P, Aspergillus terreus E10P, Epicoccum sp. E13P, Aspergillus welwitschiae E16P, Fusarium sp. E25P, F. solani E26P, and Epicoccum sp. JPE2. Field evaluation conducted at the CSKHPKV Research Farm during 2024 showed that selected isolates reduced damping-off incidence under the conditions of the field trial. Glasshouse and field evaluations identified Fusarium. sp. E25P as the most effective isolate, significantly enhancing plant growth and suppressing damping-off in okra. Root recovery at 7 and 14 days after inoculation, together with confocal microscopy, provided evidence of root association and colonization by selected isolates. These findings provide preliminary evidence that selected fungal endophytes can reduce damping-off incidence and influence early plant-growth parameters under the experimental conditions evaluated. Further assessment of biosafety, non-target effects, formulation stability, multi-environment efficacy, and reproducibility is required before their suitability for agricultural deployment can be established.PMID:43002308 | DOI:10.1007/s12223-026-01621-z