The response to exogenous addition of naphthalene acetic acid potassium salt (NAA-K+) to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp radici-lycopersici ATCC 60095 and F. oxysporum f. sp. cubense isolated from Michoacan Mexico soil is reported. The in vitro study showed that NAA-K+ might be effective in the control of Fusarium oxysporum. Exogenous application of NAA-K+ affected both spores and mycelium stages of the fungi. Viability testing using acridine orange and propidium iodide showed that NAA-K+ possesses fungal killing properties, doing it effectively in the destruction of conidia of this phytopathogenic fungi. Analysis of treated spores by scanning electron microscopy showed changes in the shape factor and fractal dimension. Moreover, NAA-K+ repressed the expression of brlA and fluG genes. The results disclosed here give evidence of the use of this synthetic growth factor as a substance of biocontrol that presents advantages, and the methods of application in situ should be explored.
Keywords: F. oxysporum f. sp. cubense; Fusarium oxysporum f. sp radici-lycopersici; brlA; fluG; mycelial growth inhibition; naphthalene acetic acid potassium salt; spore germination inhibition.