Characterization of Paenibacillus spp. CBRM17 as antagonist of phytopathogenic fungi and growth promoter of Capsicum chinense Jacq.

Abstract

Studies of the plant-microorganism relationship have made it posible to explore the potential of rhizospheric bacteria to improve the health and quality of plants. In the present study, Paenibacillus sp. CBRM17 was characterized in vitro for its ability to inhibit the growth of phytopathogenic fungi that cause diseases in horticultural crops in the tropics, finding a reduction in the mycelial growth of Alternaria, Fusarium and Helmintosphorium strains in the range of 50 to 70 %, additionally its biochemical properties related to the promotion of plant growth were characterized, registering the production of 0.36 µg/mL of indole acetic acid (IAA), the solubilization of tricalcium phosphate with solubilization index (SI) of 2.41 mm and solubilization efficiency (SE) of 140.6 %, producing in the supernatant 63.5 mg/L of soluble phosphorus, in addition to being positive for ACC deaminase activity. Inoculations trials of habanero chili (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) seeds with Paenibacillus sp. CBRM17 showed its potential to be used as an inoculant in the growth promotion of this crop, since it increased all growth variables; increasing the total fresh and dry biomass by 93.3 and 96.4 %, respectively.