Biocontrol Potential Against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici and Alternaria solani and Tomato Plant Growth Due to Plant Growth–Promoting Rhizobacteria

ABSTRACT

Plant growth–promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are naturally occurring soil bacteria that enhance plant growth and suppress plant diseases. In this study, the bacterial strains Pseudomonas aeruginosa JO and JO7 were isolated from rhizosphere soil and evaluated for the growth promotion traits germination percentage, shoot and root length, and disease resistance in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Both JO and JO7 were capable of providing significant improvement in growth of plants and successfully suppressed disease severity of Fusarium oxysporum and Alternaria solani in pot experiments. Whether these PGPR strains can be applied to tomato plants as growth enhancers and biocontrol agents under field conditions needs to be determined.

KEYWORDS:

• Solanum lycopersicum
• antagonistic activity
• IAA
• seed vigor index
• siderophores

Funding

The work was supported financially by the University Grant Commission (UGC) under grant number PU/PC1/UGC-Start-up/Rec.of Fund/2013-14/37.

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported financially by the University Grant Commission (UGC) under grant number PU/PC1/UGC-Start-up/Rec.of Fund/2013-14/37.