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International Conference on

Recent Trends in Environmental Sustainability

ESCON22/SAgri/49

Biomagic™ biofungicide: a powerful product which controls foliar and soil borne
fungal plant pathogens
Humera Aslam Awan, Asad ullah Naz, Muhammad Irfan ul Haq and Jamshed Iqbal Cheema

Centre of Excellence in Agriculture and Biotechnology, Auriga Group of Companies, Lahore.
Correspondence: humeraaslam46@gmail.com

Abstract
Emerging plant pathogenic fungal pathogens infecting cereal crops are posing serious threat to
food security worldwide. Use of chemical pesticides has not only adversely affected nature but
also triggered resistance in pathogens. Biomagic™ is a systemic biofungicide from a microbial
source to cope with wide range of fungal phytopathogens. It has been designed for prevention
and control of wide range of high-impact fungal diseases. this wetable powder (WP)
formulation contains native strain Bacillus velezensis (BS2) isolated from canola rhizospheric
soil sample. Its affectivity is tested against various plant pathogens fungi in vitro using dual
culture method. While field trials on chili crop confirmed its in vivo biocontrol efficiency
equally. Hydrolytic enzymes, siderophores, antibiotics including pyocyanin, biosurfactants and
volatile organic compounds are included in action mechanism of BS2. Active metabolites have
been identified as being produced by BS2, including fungicidal peptides. In the bioformulation
the shelf life/viability of BS2 was well sustained for two years at room temperature and CFU
4
8
count was dropped from 8x10 to 4x10 . In field experiments, Biomagic™ reduced disease
incidence up to 35.28% over Fusarium oxysporum inoculated plot and 38.88% over
Macrophomina phaseolina treated plots of chillies. Similarly, it reduced disease mortality up
to 28.60% over Fusarium oxysporum inoculated plot and 26.13% over Macrophomina
phaseolina treated plots. Biomagic™ is different from other Bacillus based biofungicide
products on the market in terms of its metabolite production, effectiveness in field and shelf-
life stability; hence it offers an effective alternative to chemicals for control of fungal plant
diseases in agriculture.
Keywords: Biocontrol, phytpathogens, bioformulation

Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus

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