Molecular Identification and Antimicrobial Potential of Endophytic Fungi Against Some Grapevine Pathogens

In the Duhok province of the Kurdistan region, the plant species Vitis vinifera has been explored as a habitat for diverse endophytic microorganisms across various ecological environments. During the period from 2021 to 2022, a total of 600 samples were collected from four distinct locations: Bagera, Besfke, Barebhar, and Atrush. From these samples, twelve endophytic fungal species were isolated, including Aspergillus flavus, Botryosphaeria dothidea, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium ruscicol, Fusarium venenatum, Chaetomium globosum, Clonostachys rosea, Mucor racemosus, Penicillium glabrum, Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus ustus , and Aspergillus niger . These fungi are recognized for their potential as biocontrol agents against grapevine trunk diseases and grape rotting fungi, which pose significant risks to grapevine health and productivity. Based on ITS and SSU sequencing, molecular identification confirmed these fungi’s presence with sequence identities ranging from 99% to 100%. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these endophytes could be categorized into five main clusters (A, B, C, D, and E), showing high intra-group similarity. Utilizing the Dual Culture method, the endophyte Paecilomyces maximus demonstrated a 70.83% inhibition rate against Ilyonectria destructans . In the Food Poisoning method, A. flavus and P. maximus emerged as the most effective inhibitors of Ilyonectria destructans , whereas A. terreus, M. racemosus , and P. maximus achieved complete inhibition (100%) of Botrytis cinerea . Additionally, M. racemosus was identified as the most effective biocontrol agent against Neoscytalidium dimidiatum .