ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI IN THE SUPPRESSION OF PATHOGENIC FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH SOYBEAN CULTIVATION

The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) isolate ISOE 032 in suppressing phytopathogenic fungi of high relevance to soybean (Glycine max L.) cultivation.The study was conducted at the Plant Pathology Laboratory of the State University of Goiás, where the bottom-to--bottom plate method was used to evaluate the effect of volatile compounds emitted by isolate ISOE 032 on the mycelial growth and sporulation of different pathogenic isolates, namely: Macrophomina sp., Rhizoctonia solani, Phomopsis sp., Sclerotinia sp., Colletotrichum dematium var.truncata, Cercospora kikuchii, and C. sojina.FMA ISOE 032 showed significant performance in controlling phytopathogens, promoting high rates of mycelial inhibition, with Macrophomina sp.standing out with 81%, followed by C. kikuchii (77.5%) and C. sojina (77.25%).In addition, a significant reduction in the sporulation capacity of the pathogens was observed, demonstrating that the compounds released by the isolate not only affect vegetative growth but also interfere with the reproduction of the tested fungi.The results highlight the potential of volatile metabolites produced by FMAs as antifungal agents, with effects comparable to those of synthetic fungicides, but without the environmental impacts associated with the continuous use of chemical pesticides.Thus, FMA ISOE 032 has biotechnological potential for integration into sustainable management strategies.