Native bacteria for field biocontrol of black root rot in Egyptian strawberry

Abstract

Abstract Background Increasing cultivation of strawberry in Egypt has boosted efforts to increase its yield. Biocontrol agents (BCAs) may avoid side effects and health risks caused by chemical fungicides used to control black root rot disease in strawberry. Some BCAs control the disease and augment strawberry yield, but additional research is needed to fit BCAs into emerging control strategies. The impact of six bacterial isolates of Paenibacillus polymyxa and Bacillus brevis on this disease and on berry yield is reported and compared to a common chemical fungicide. Results The bacterial isolates reduced the growth of the black root rot causal agents Fusarium solani, Rhizoctonia solani, and Macrophomina phaseolina, in dual culture bioassays. The greatest fungal inhibition was caused by P. polymyxa isolates 1 and 2 and B. brevis isolate 2. They suppressed the growth of F. solani, R. solani, and M. phaseolina by more than 74, 76, and 79%, respectively. Disease severity and incidence were significantly reduced on naturally infected strawberry plants in the field by the six isolates. The best results were obtained by the superior bioassay isolates which suppressed the disease incidence by 73, 77, and 71%, and its severity by 72, 78, and 70%, respectively. Disease suppression by bacteria was comparable to that by fungicide Actamyl. Bacteria surpassed Actamyl with regard to strawberry yield and enhancement of peroxidase and chitinase activities in the leaves. Conclusions These isolates are potential benign alternatives to fungicides used against black root rot in strawberry in Egypt. More studies are needed to examine their economic use on a wider scale.