Detection of bacterial pathogen on corn plants and test the potential of endophytic microbes to controlling stewart wilt disease in vitro

Abstract

The use of synthetic pesticides to increase maize production sustainably contributes to increasing the development of pathogens and tends to be less effective in environmental conditions that support pathogens. In addition, the emergence of environmental pollution due to the use of chemicals causes the need for environmentally-friendly control technologies. Endophytic microbes are biological agents that can be used to plant disease control that is environmentally friendly and practical in their application. The study aimed to detect pathogenic bacteria that cause wilt and blight in maize and then examine the potential of several endophytic microbial isolates in controlling Stewart wilt pathogens in maize in vitro. The research was carried out from February to July 2021 at the Cereal Crop Research Institute Laboratory in Maros for morphological identification and microbial potential testing, while serological tests were carried out at the Makassar Plant Quarantine Laboratory, South Sulawesi. The study began with detecting pathogenic bacteria serologically using the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method. The results showed that blight symptoms on corn isolated from the experimental garden of IP2TP Bajeng Gowa Regency PS-4 and PS-5 were detected as bacteria Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii. The antagonistic test of endophytic bacterial isolates I.A1, II.D1, III.A2, IV.B2, and endophytic fungi isolates AC-1, AC-3, and DC-5 was able to suppress the growth of pathogenic bacteria isolates PS-4 and PS-5 The growth suppression of pathogenic bacteria was observed by forming inhibitory zones of antibiosis compounds. Pathogenic bacteria Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii can be controlled using endophytic microbes.