Biocontrol effect of ginger glycoprotein and essential oil against Vicia faba damping-off caused by Fusarium solani and Rhizoctonia solani

The Fusarium solani and Rhizoctonia solani are destructive soil-borne pathogens worldwide, significantly impacting crop yields and quality. Synthetic fungicides are usually used for their control despite their adverse environmental and human health impacts. Therefore, there is a growing interest in discovering natural alternatives to synthetic pesticides. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of ginger glycoprotein and essential oil (EO) as antifungal agents against R. solani and F. solani , correlated with diseases that cause root decay and wilt in Vicia faba L. An in vitro trial assessed the antifungal efficacy of ginger EO and glycoprotein singularly (at 10 and 25 μg/mL) compared to Rizolex-T 50 WP (at 25, 50, and 75 μg/mL) against F. solani and R. solani mycelium growth. Whereas, the in vivo trial evaluated the efficacy of ginger EO and glycoprotein at 50 and 100 μg/mL, compared to Rizolex-T 50 WP at 50 μg/mL, in reducing pre- and post-emergence damping-off percentages. Sodium dodecyl-sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and particle size distribution were carried out to characterize seed glycoprotein. SDS-PAGE of the glycoprotein indicated two bands corresponding to 35 and 29 KDa. An HPLC examination of the glycoprotein carbohydrate component identified glucose, mannose, and fructose. GC-MS analysis of the components of EO identified 28 majors’ substances. R. solani and F. solani mycelial proliferation was dose-dependently inhibited by both EO and glycoprotein. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), used for investigating eventually morphological changes in tested fungi after treatment. In the in vivo test, it was seen that both EO and glycoprotein at 50 and 100 μg/mL made the symptoms caused by the tested fungi a lot less severe compared to the control. The results showed that ginger glycoprotein and essential oil might be able to be used instead of synthetic fungicides to treat V. faba damping off. • Ginger essential oil and glycoprotein inhibit F. solani, R. solani growth in vitro. • Both agents reduced damping-off symptoms in Vicia faba in vivo tests. • EO and glycoprotein showed dose-dependent antifungal activity. • HPLC revealed glucose, mannose, and fructose in the glycoprotein. • EO contained 28 major substances per GC-MS analysis.