Antagonistic fungi Trichoderma harzianum (T₁, from bean fields in Ahwaz, T₂, from rice fields in Rasht), T. viride (T₃ from bean fields in Shahriar, T₄ from the collection in Plant Pest and Disease Institute, Tehran), Gliocladium virens (from bean fields in Kamal Abad, Karaj) and some fungicides (Benomyl, Carbendazim, Carboxin-Thiram, edifenphos and Zineb) were used to control sheath blight of rice incited by Rhizoctonia solani in vitro and under greenhouse conditions. The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design with 12 treatments and four replications on Khazar rice cultivar in a soil infected by R. solani under greenhouse conditions. The results showed that the antagonistic fungi reduce sheath blight by 19.8 (T₁), 21.5 (T₂), 27.5 (T₃), 19.6 (T₄) and 18.5 (G₁) percent. The antagonistic fungi in order of efficacy were T₂>T₃>T₁>T₄>G₁. Benomyl, Carbendazim, Carboxin-thiram, Edifenphos and Zineb reduced disease by 32.5, 21.5, 12.8, 9.5 and 0 percent, respectively. Statistical analysis of data indicated that there existed no significant differences between T₁, T₃, T₄, and G₁ and Carbendazim fungicide to control disease however, the isolate T₂ was as effective as Benomyl but Zineb had no effect on sheath blight.

Keywords: Rice, Sheath blight, Antagonist, Fungicide, Trichoderma, Biological control

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