Sampling of the rice phyllosphere was carried out in a plot under the modality of organic subsistence agriculture, located in the community of Los Alvéos, province of Coclé, Republic of Panama. Subsequently, isolation of fungi from the rice phyllosphere, in vitro confrontation tests and identification of microorganisms (fungi) with antagonistic potential against the phytopathogen Pyricularia oryzae, which causes the disease known as panicle blight (pyriculariosis), were carried out. A total of 68 endophytic fungal strains were isolated from the phyllosphere (20 from the apical section, 22 from the middle section and 26 from the basal section), of which 29 showed positive antagonism (PCIR ?40%) against the phytopathogen P. oryzae, corresponding to the genera Aspergillus, Penicillium, Trichoderma and Fusarium (they were identified molecularly by amplifying the ITS gen and sequencing them). The objective of this research was to isolate and characterize fungi with antagonistic biological activity against p. oryzae.
