EN
Creating of biological means of plant protection requires the study on mechanisms of interaction between microbial antagonists and pathogens. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the mechanism of antifungal action of commercial strains of bacteria-antagonists (Sgrc–1 Pseudomonas fluorescens, Oif 2–1 Pseudomonas sp., D 7–1 Bacillus subtilis and Fa 4–1 Bacillus subtilis) against Fusarium pathogens of sunflower. As a test culture was selected Fusarium oxysporum var. orthoceras (App. Et Wr.) Bilai, which is a dominant species on sunflower. The investigated strains of bacterial antagonists showed the ability to degrade cell walls of pathogenic fungi by direct contact. The death of the mycelium of F. oxysporum var. orthoceras during incubation with bacteria of the genus Bacillus was recorded on 5–7th and in the case of bacteria Pseudomonas up to 7–9th day.