Rhizoctonia solani is a fungus that causes damping-off of seedlings in various plant species. Chitosan is a polymer derived from the process of desacetylation of chitin, which is found in large quantities in the exoskeleton of crustaceans, insects and fungal cell wall. Chitosan has been tested for various uses, including the control of plant pathogens in agriculture, since it presents antimicrobial activity to control pathogens. This study aimed to evaluate the fungistatic effect of different chitosan concentrations (0; 0.25; 0.5; 1 and 2%) in mycelial growth in vitro of the fungus R. solani. The results showed a significant effect of different concentrations of chitosan, in reduccing the mycelial growth of R. solani. It was also observed increased fungistatic effect with increasing of the concentration.
damping-off; soil fungus; chitosan; fungistatic effect
