Background: Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important cereal crops globally, yet it remains highly susceptible to a range of fungal diseases that substantially reduce grain yield and quality. In semi-arid regions, climatic conditions including fluctuating temperatures and periodic humidity favor the rapid proliferation of pathogenic fungi such as Fusarium, Puccinia, and Blumeria species. Conventional disease management has relied heavily on synthetic fungicides; however, emerging resistance and environmental concerns necessitate the development of sustainable integrated approaches.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the comparative efficacy of five disease management strategies — including fungicide application, biocontrol agents, and their combination — on disease incidence, disease severity, and grain yield in wheat under semi-arid field conditions.

Method: Field trials were conducted over two consecutive cropping seasons using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with five treatments and four replications. Key fungal pathogens were identified through morphological and molecular techniques. Disease incidence, severity index, and grain yield were recorded at regular intervals and analyzed using ANOVA and Duncan's Multiple Range Test (DMRT) at p≤0.05.

Key Results: The combined treatment (Fungicide A + Trichoderma harzianum) achieved the highest disease reduction (73.2%) and significantly outperformed all other treatments, yielding 4.54 t/ha — an 88.4% increase over the untreated control. Fusarium graminearum was identified as the most prevalent pathogen (34.0% frequency).