A Modern Tactic for Reducing the Biotic Stress on Cucumber Plants Caused by Fusarium oxysporum

Both biological control and the use of antioxidants represent a modern tactic to induce disease resistance in plants against several pathogens especially when applied together. In the present study, cucumber plants infected by Fusarium oxysporum were inoculated with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and /or seed presoaked in antioxidant GAWDA formulation at concentration of (3 g L-1) for 12 h before sawing in infested soil with the fungus. Results revealed significant increases in growth parameters, levels of mycorrhizal colonization, content of the photosynthetic pigments. The results suggested that the combined treatment of antioxidant GAWDA +AM may be used as a tactic to enhance plant resistances against Fusarium oxysporum, improve plant growth and increase the phenolic compounds in the vegetative growth of cucumber.