摘要：AbstractObjectivesPomegranate (Punica granatumL.) is frequently affected by fungal infections during the pre-and post-harvesting periods, resulting in severe losses to the farming economy. The common pre-and post-harvest pomegranate pathogens affecting the final yield and quality of the fruits areBotrytis cinerea, Alternaria alternata, Penicillium implicatum,andAspergillus niger. This study aimed to isolate and identify the pathogens causing pomegranate rot diseases. Also, the values ofXanthium strumariumextracts as eco-friendly control agents and threeTrichodermastrains as biological control agents against the pomegranate fungal pathogen were determined.MethodsThe plate dilution method was used to isolate fungi populations from pomegranate plants. The pathogens fungi were identified by the morphological and molecular method by sequenced of internal transcript spacer (ITS) region. The antifungal activities ofX. strumariumextracted either by both ethanol or methanol andTrichodermawere investigated.Results and conclusionsThe isolated and identified pathogens wereP. implicatum, A. alternata, A. niger, Fusarium oxysporum,andF. chlamydosporum.The obtained sequences of these fungi were deposited in NCBI gene bank with accession numbers OK562113–OK562125. The efficiency ofX. strumariumextract against pomegranate fungal pathogens ranged from 40.32 to 69.53% for ethanol extract and from 44.40 to 70.28% for methanol extract compared to 44.43%–85.71% for the antifungal Nystatin. Moreover, the efficiency ofTrichodermawas 42.22%–72.50%, 42.30%–70.21%, and 44.54%–72.50% for strains ABSA-16, TSA-17, and ABSA-18, respectively. It could be concluded that the isolated pomegranate's pathogenic fungi in Taif wereP. implicatum, A. alternata, A. niger, F. oxysporum,andF. chlamydosporum. The extract ofX. strumariumobtained from the Taif region andTrichodermacan successfully assist control the pomegranate's pathogenic fungi at pre-and post-harvest, and hence can be successfully included in the IPM programs.
