Abstract
Seedling emergence and plant growth of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) are severely affected by charcoal rot disease. The aim of present study was to identify the disease causing agent of charcoal rot in sesame and prevent their growth by bacterial biocontrol agent. The infected stems of sesame plants were collected from the agricultural field and the disease causing agent, Macrophomina phaseolina NICS01 was identified in infected parts of plants by 18 rDNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The biocontrol agent was isolated from Kimchi, a fermented Korean food and identified as Bacillus methylotrophicus KE2. The antagonism activity of B. methylotrophicus KE2 against M. phaseolina NICS01 was determined by In vitro study. The results of current study showed that the growth of M. phaseolina NICS01 was significantly inhibited by the effect of B. methylotrophicus KE2 and suggested that the application of bacterium, B. methylotrophicus KE2 could be a biocontrol agent to prevent the damage of charcoal rot disease.