Biological control of winter wheat pathogens with the use of antagonistic Sphingomonas bacteria under greenhouse conditions

Abstract

This paper describes, for the first time, the effect of bacteria of the genus Sphingomonas on healthiness of winter wheat. The effect of the application of Sphingomonas cell suspension on development of disease symptoms of powdery mildew and Fusarium head blight (FHB) of winter wheat cv. Bogatka was studied under greenhouse conditions. The abundance of populations of yeast and fungi producing mycelium as well as bacteria of the genus Azotobacter and pseudomonads was determined on wheat kernels. The biocontrol agent reduced the population size of Fusarium poae, and it contributed to better grain filling. The tested Sphingomonas isolate reduced the severity of flag leaf infection caused by pathogenic biotroph Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici.

Keywords:

• winter wheat
• biological control
• Sphingomonas
• Fusarium
• Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici

Acknowledgements

This experiment was co-financed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (project No. N N 310 11 66 38).