The efficacy of indigenous fungal isolates associated with tomato plant against the Gray mold pathogen Botrytis cineria was evaluated in vitro. The investigation has dual purpose, firstly identification of indigenous fungal isolates from Solanum lycopersicum L.; secondly, to evaluate their antagonistic property against Botrytis cineria using the dual culture method. A total of 96 fungal species were isolated from the rhizospheric soil of S. lycopersicum of which, 81 species belonged to Ascomycota and 12 species belonged to Zygomycota. Among the fungal isolates, 14 fungal species, namely Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus, Chaetomium elatum, C. globosum, Gliocladium roseum, G. viride, Myrothecium verrucaria, Trichoderma hamatum, T. harzianum, T. polysporum, T. pseudokoningii and T. viride were selected for antagonistic effect against B. cineria. Of 14 selected fungal species, C. globosum have the highest percentage of inhibition of 80% and G. viride have the least percentage of inhibition of 29.33% against B. cineria. Among the test organisms, a zone of inhibition was produced only by C. elatum (0.2cm), G. viride (0.3cm), M. verrucaria (0.4cm), T. hamatum (0.3cm) and T. harzianum (0.2cm) while an intermingled zone was produced only by A. fumigatus (1.8cm) and Penicillium canescens (0.5cm). Out of 14 test organisms, C. globosum, Penicillium chrysogenum, A. flavus and A. fumigatus and Trichoderma species may be recommended as good sources of biocontrol agents against B. cineria the causal organism of tomato gray mold disease.
