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Abstract
Rhizoctonia solani is one of the most important causative agents of damping-off
diseases on cucumber plants and significantly reduces their yield. R. solani possesses
some characteristics, such as wide host range and unlimited survival in soil, which
made it most difficult to control. Therefore, the research for a biocontrol agent will
be valuable to control this disease. Two species of mycorrhizal fungi (Glomus mos-
seae and Glomus clarum) that were evaluated against the agent R. solani reduced the
damping-off disease on the cucumber plant. Mycorrhizal-inoculated plants with
both species showed a significant reduction in disease severity (DS), which were
٢١ and ٢٥%, respectively, whereas the disease severity was ٦٥% for non-inoculated
plants. Furthermore, the effects of mycorrhizal fungi were evaluated against the
growth parameters of cucumber plants. Plants inoculated with both species of
mycorrhizal fungi showed a significant increase in both shoot dry weight and root
dry weight compared with uninoculated plants. In conclusion, both mycorrhiza
species could be an important tool to control soil-borne pathogens, increase plant’s
nutrients’ absorption, and increase resistance to abiotic stresses.