Biological Control Mechanisms of Fluorescent Pseudomonas Species involved in Control of Root Diseases of Vegetables/ Fruits

Abstract

Root diseases of vegetables and fruits are known to be highly destructive which can cause a significant economic yield loss in those crops. The application of fungicides to control root diseases has been increasingly curtailed by the development of pathogen resistance to many key fungicides, expensive, inconsistence, and negative public perception regarding the safety of pesticides and consequent restrictions on fungicide use. Moreover, chlamydospores and mycelium of certain fungi can survive in the soil for several years. Biological control methods that reduce the population of pathogen in the soil appear to be the most practical method. Therefore, plant disease control has generally been focused on the use of biological control agents. Fluorescent pseudomonads have frequently been considered as effective biological control agents against soil-borne plant pathogens because of their rapid and aggressive colonization of plant roots. It has been shown that the fluorescent pseudomonads exert several mechanisms in suppression of plant root diseases, and that such mechanisms differed among the strains. The aim of this study is to analyze biocontrol mechanisms of fluorescent pseudomonads for the traits or metabolites involved in biocontrol of plant root diseases.