Biological Control by Plant-Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Christopher T. Cornelison
Department
CSM - Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology
Abstract
Abstract
Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are bacteria that form an intimate relationship with a plant’s roots and through this interaction in the rhizosphere, increases the plant growth and systemic health (Kloepper and Schroth 1981). PGPR are widely used as biocontrol methods in agriculture because chemicals they produce are sometimes antifungal. Unfortunately, in some soils, they are not as effective due the competition between the endemic microorganisms. It is believed that if local strains of PGPR are identified, they will then be able to thrive since they are well adapted to those respective soil communities. In this research, soil organisms have been isolated from the KSU Hickory Grove Farm to search for a more effective organic biocontrol method. Once the soil organisms were found, they were then screened against Botrytis cinerea, a common pathogen of strawberries, tomatoes and other important agricultural products, to see if any inhibition occurs. Local strains of ubiquitous yeasts were also isolated and tested in vitro against B. cinerea. Inhibition of this fungal pathogen from both bacteria and yeasts were observed. Future studies will test the effect of these organisms as PGPR by using them as soil amendments for lab studies as well as at the green house scale with Hickory Grove Farm.
References
Kloepper, JW, and Schroth, MN. “Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria and Plant Growth Under Gnotobiotic Conditions.” Phytopathology, vol. 71, no. 6, 1981, p. 642., doi:10.1094/phyto-71-642.
Disciplines
Environmental Microbiology and Microbial Ecology | Pathogenic Microbiology
Biological Control by Plant-Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria
Abstract
Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are bacteria that form an intimate relationship with a plant’s roots and through this interaction in the rhizosphere, increases the plant growth and systemic health (Kloepper and Schroth 1981). PGPR are widely used as biocontrol methods in agriculture because chemicals they produce are sometimes antifungal. Unfortunately, in some soils, they are not as effective due the competition between the endemic microorganisms. It is believed that if local strains of PGPR are identified, they will then be able to thrive since they are well adapted to those respective soil communities. In this research, soil organisms have been isolated from the KSU Hickory Grove Farm to search for a more effective organic biocontrol method. Once the soil organisms were found, they were then screened against Botrytis cinerea, a common pathogen of strawberries, tomatoes and other important agricultural products, to see if any inhibition occurs. Local strains of ubiquitous yeasts were also isolated and tested in vitro against B. cinerea. Inhibition of this fungal pathogen from both bacteria and yeasts were observed. Future studies will test the effect of these organisms as PGPR by using them as soil amendments for lab studies as well as at the green house scale with Hickory Grove Farm.
References
Kloepper, JW, and Schroth, MN. “Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria and Plant Growth Under Gnotobiotic Conditions.” Phytopathology, vol. 71, no. 6, 1981, p. 642., doi:10.1094/phyto-71-642.