Evaluation potential of PGPR to protect tomato against Fusarium wilt and promote plant growth.

Rizwana Begum Syed Nabi,Byung-Wook Yun,Raheem Shahzad,Rupesh Tayade,Adil Hussain,Muhammad Waqas Ali,Muhammad Shahid

doi:10.7717/peerj.11194

Abstract

Soilborne fungal diseases are most common among vegetable crops and have major implications for crop yield and productivity. Eco-friendly sustainable agriculture practices that can overcome biotic and abiotic stresses are of prime importance. In this study, we evaluated the ability of plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR) Bacillus aryabhattai strain SRB02 to control the effects of tomato wilt disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (strain KACC40032) and promote plant growth. In vitro bioassays showed significant inhibition of fungal growth by SRB02. Inoculation of susceptible and tolerant tomato cultivars in the presence of SRB02 showed significant protection of the cultivar that was susceptible to infection and promotion of plant growth and biomass production in both of the cultivars. Further analysis of SRB02-treated plants revealed a significantly higher production of amino acids following infection by F. oxysporum. Analysis of plant defense hormones after inoculation by the pathogen revealed a significantly higher accumulation of salicylic acid (SA), with a concomitant reduction in jasmonic acid (JA). These results indicate that B. aryabhattai strain SRB02 reduces the effects of Fusarium wilt disease in tomato by modulating endogenous phytohormones and amino acid levels.

Highlights

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is the second most economically important edible vegetable after potato from the Solanaceae family and is widely cultivated and consumed around the world (Hanson & Yang, 2016)
The in vitro antifungal activity of plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR) B. aryabhattai SRB02 was assessed against pathogenic Fusarium oxysporum in dual culture
The pathogen was applied to the exposed roots of tomato plants and incubated under higher relative humidity to create a conducive environment for successful infection

Summary

Introduction

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is the second most economically important edible vegetable after potato from the Solanaceae family and is widely cultivated and consumed around the world (Hanson & Yang, 2016). Tomato is used as a model plant for investigating. How to cite this article Syed Nabi R, Shahzad R, Tayade R, Shahid M, Hussain A, Ali MW, Yun B-W. Evaluation potential of PGPR to protect tomato against Fusarium wilt and promote plant growth. The tomato crop is under threat worldwide owing to biotic and abiotic stresses that have caused significant reductions in yield and productivity. One reason is that tomato is a host for nearly 200 species of plant pathogens, including fungi, bacteria, nematodes, viruses, and others that infect plants at all developmental stages (Stout, Kurabchew & Leite, 2017), reducing both yield and quality

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