Recently chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) root-rot disease are widely
distributed causing serious losses on yield in many cultivated regions in Egypt. 45
isolates representing 10 fungal species were recovered from chamomile roots.
Samples were collected from 13 localities at 2 different growth stages of the crop. The
most dominant species were Macrophomina phaseolina; Fusarium oxysporum;
Aspergillus niger; Rhizopus st%nifer; Fasarium so/ani and Rhizoctonia so/ani.
Pathogenicity test proved the ability of F.oxysporum, R.so/ani and M.phaseo/ina to
infect chamomile roots and produce the symptoms of root-rot disease. The efficacies
of the antagonist Trichoderma harzianum, as well as, chitosan glutamate 0.5% were
evaluated for the control of pathogenic fungi in vivo. Chitosan glutamate significantly
suppressed the fungal diseases. Antagonistic T.harzianum showed lower reductive
effect of disease in comparison with chitosan glutamate.