Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc. the causative agent of white rot is one of the destructive pathogens of nightshade crops. In Côte d'Ivoire, this fungal pathogen constitutes a major constraint for the cultivation of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) with 41.01% crop losses in humid forest areas. Controlling this fungus with synthetic chemicals can be effective, but harmful to human health and the environment. The use of biological control agents could be an alternative approach to control S. rolfsii. In this perspective, the objective of this work was to select fungi from the rhizosphere of tomato crops capable of inhibiting the growth of S. rolfsii. To do this, 153 fungi were isolated from the rhizosphere and from direct confrontation tests 10 fungi whose antagonistic power of S. rolfsii varied between 27 and 60% were selected. Molecular identification (ITS) of these antagonist fungi revealed that the isolates belonged to the genera Talaromyces sp. (n = 4), Trichoderma sp. (n = 3), Penicillium sp. (n = 2) and Clonostachys sp. (n = 1). Among these fungi, Talaromyces purpureogenus and Talaromyces assiutensis were able to diffuse compounds in agar capable of inhibiting the growth of S. rolfsii. The chemical study of these 2 fungi made it possible to identify mitorubrin and mitorubrinol produced by T. purpureogenus and spiculisporic acid produced by T. assiutensis. Mitorubrin and mitorubrinol had inhibitory activities of 100 and 70% at 10 mg/mL, respectively, whereas spiculisporic acid showed moderate inhibition of 38 at 20 mg/mL of the growth of S. rolfsii; however, its abundant production by the fungus could be an advantage in the control of this phytopathogen. Isolated from the same biotope as S. rolfsii, T. purpureogenus and T. assiutensis represent favorable candidates for the biological control against S. rolfsii.

With more than 42% of the world's cocoa bean production, cocoa cultivation is of paramount economic importance for Côte d'Ivoire. However, black pod rot is caused by Phytophthora spp. leads to considerable reductions in local production. The excessive use of synthetic fungicides to control this disease has led to the development of pathogen resistance and poses risks to human health and the environment. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of two biological formulations based on the antagonistic fungus Trichoderma spp. spores and bioactive extracts against cocoa black pod rot development. The two Trichoderma sp. bioformulations were applied directly to detached pods under laboratory conditions (curative treatment) and to the cocoa trees' aerial parts under field conditions. Applications of these spore- and extract-based biofungicides significantly reduced blackrot development on cocoa pods. In the laboratory, cocoa pods treated with Trichoderma sp. spores after inoculation with Phytophthora palmivora showed no black rot symptoms. However, among the treatments with Trichoderma sp. bioactive extracts, only 50 mg/ml completely prevented symptom development caused by Phytophthora. In the field, the mean black pod rot reduction rates on cocoa pods were 68.68 and 38.81% for the spore and extract-based biofungicide treatments, respectively, compared with 61.10 % for the synthetic fungicide (Metalaxyl and Copper oxide).

Background: The global spread of extended‐spectrum β ‐lactamase (ESBL)–producing Enterobacterales in livestock poses critical threats to human and animal health, particularly in low‐ and middle‐income countries. This study investigated the prevalence, antibiotic resistance profiles, and genetic determinants of ESBL‐producing Enterobacterales in healthy chickens from poultry farms in Grand‐Abidjan and Korhogo, Côte d′Ivoire, alongside antibiotic use practices in the sector. Methods: A semistructured questionnaire assessed veterinary practices across 26 farms, whereas chicken fecal samples from 27 farms were screened for third‐generation cephalosporin‐resistant Enterobacterales. Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of ESBL producers was performed, along with antimicrobial susceptibility testing against 12 antibiotics. Results: All farmers reported antibiotic use, primarily tetracyclines (76.9%), macrolides (69.2%), polymyxins (61.5%), aminoglycosides (57.7%), and sulfonamides (53.8%), mainly for disease prophylaxis (65.38%) and often without veterinary supervision. ESBL‐producing Enterobacterales were detected in 96.3% (26/27) of fecal samples, yielding 90 isolates identified as clinically relevant species: Klebsiella pneumoniae (42.2%, 38/90), Escherichia coli (38.9%, 35/90), and Enterobacter spp. (18.9%, 17/90). Overall, 74.8% (63/90) of isolates were resistant to trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole and 57.8% to amoxicillin–clavulanic acid, whereas no resistance to carbapenems was observed. Molecular characterization revealed the presence of bla _CTX-M , bla _SHV , and bla _TEM genes, with bla _CTX-M being the most prevalent (77.8%, 70/90), followed by bla _SHV (54.4%, 49/90) and bla _TEM (31.1%, 28/90). These genes were coexpressed in half of all isolates, predominantly in K. pneumoniae and Enterobacter spp. Conclusion: This study highlights the widespread dissemination of ESBL‐producing Enterobacterales in poultry farms in Côte d′Ivoire, emphasizing the role of poultry as a reservoir for resistant bacteria and underscoring the urgent need for integrated surveillance and antimicrobial stewardship within a One Health framework.