UAE1, a Potential Effective Biocontrol Agent for Black Scorch Disease in Date Palm Plantations.

Many fungal diseases affect date palm causing considerable losses in date production worldwide. We found that the fungicide Cidely Top inhibited the mycelial growth of the soil-borne pathogenic fungus , the causal agent of black scorch disease of date palm, both and . Because the use of biocontrol agents (BCAs) can minimize the impact of pathogen control on economic and environmental concerns related to chemical control, we aimed at testing local actinomycete strains isolated from the rhizosphere soil of healthy date palm cultivated in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) against .