Magos Amado, Carlos EmilianoZubiria Ibarguren, IzaroHernández Malagón, José ÁngelSanchís Polto, JaimePaz Silva, AdolfoGonzález Cerón, Fernando2026-04-142026-04-142026-04-13Magos Amado, C. E., Zubiria Ibarguren, I., Castañeda Ramírez, A., Esquivel Velázquez, R., Alejos-de la Fuente, J. I., Cedillo Galindo, N., Cuervo Suárez, J., Malagón, J. Á. H., Sanchís Polto, J., Paz Silva, A., & González Cerón, F. (2026). Evaluation of Fungal Parasitic Activity Under Field Conditions: A Soil Simulation Test. Agriculture, 16(8), 860. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture16080860https://hdl.handle.net/10347/46680Several species of saprophytic filamentous fungi are able of disrupting the life cycle of certain soil-born parasites that are of veterinary and agronomy importance, offering a promising sustainable control alternative. This study consisted of designing an experimental model, using catnip (Nepeta cataria) trays to simulate a vegetated environment for evaluating the parasiticidal activity of Mucor circinelloides, Trichoderma atrobrunneum, and Duddingtonia flagrans. Fungal spores were added to treated trays before adding feces with protozoan (Eimeria spp.), and gastrointestinal nematodes (roundworms, strongyles), and untreatedcontrol water. No differences in plant growth or vigor, regardless of fungal presence, were observed, confirming the safety of these biological agents for vegetation. In the control trays, the viability of parasites ranged from 50% to 85%. In the treated trays, the viability of Eimeria and roundworms decreased by 40–100%, and the strongyle egg counts were reduced by 74% within 15 days. It is concluded that the vegetated tray model effectively simulates field conditions and provides a reliable platform for evaluating fungal efficacy against the free-living stages of parasites, offering a versatile tool for future research on soil-borne pathogens affecting animals and plants.eng© 2026 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the termsand conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.Attribution 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/AssaysBiological controlTrays with catnipSoil simulationOocystsL3 larvaeMucor circinelloidesTrichoderma atrobrunneumDuddingtonia flagransjournal article10.3390/agriculture160808602077-0472open access