Abstract
BackgroundDirty panicle disease (DPD) caused by several fungal phytopathogens results in damage and depreciation of rice seeds. Unhealthy rice seeds with DPD are potent reservoirs of pathogens and unable to be used as seed stock as they can spread the disease in the paddy fields leading to the severe loss of rice yield and quality. In this study, we aim to search for beneficial endophytes of commercially cultivated rice plants and utilize them as biostimulants in seed biopriming for fertility recovery and disease suppression of unhealthy rice seeds.ResultsForty-three bacterial endophytes were isolated from rice plants grown in the herbicide-treated paddy fields. Five isolates of these endophytes belonging to the genus Bacillus show excellent antifungal activity against fungal pathogens of DPD. Based on germination tests, biopriming unhealthy rice seeds by soaking in bacterial suspensions for 9 or 12 h was optimal as evidenced by the lowest disease incidence and longer shoot and root lengths of seedlings germinated, compared with controls made of non-treated or hydroprimed healthy and unhealthy seeds. Pot experiments were carried out to evaluate the impact of seed biopriming, in which the percentage of healthy rice yield produced by rice plants emerging from bioprimed seeds was not significantly different, compared to the controls originating respectively from non-treated healthy seeds and chemical fungicide-treated unhealthy seeds.ConclusionBiopriming of unhealthy rice seeds with herbicide-tolerant endophytic bacteria could recover seed fertility and protect the full life cycle of emerging rice plants from fungal pests. With our findings, seed biopriming is a straightforward approach that farmers can apply to recover unhealthy rice seed stock, which enables them to reduce the cost and use of agrochemicals in the commercial production of rice and to promote green technology in sustainable agriculture.
Highlights
Dirty panicle disease (DPD) caused by several fungal phytopathogens results in damage and depreciation of rice seeds
Rangjaroen et al BMC Plant Biology (2019) 19:580 reservoirs of phytopathogens and unable to be used as seed stock because they can spread the disease in the paddy field leading to the severe loss of rice yield and quality
We aim to develop a straightforward protocol for biopriming of unhealthy rice seeds using endophytic plant growthpromoting (PGP) bacteria of rice plants
Summary
Dirty panicle disease (DPD) caused by several fungal phytopathogens results in damage and depreciation of rice seeds. Unhealthy rice seeds with DPD are potent reservoirs of pathogens and unable to be used as seed stock as they can spread the disease in the paddy fields leading to the severe loss of rice yield and quality. In 2013, massive rice yields produced in Thailand became invaded with fungal pests during storage [5], while a lot of these rice seeds had symptoms of DPD. This damage did engender an adverse impact on the country’s agroeconomy and the profits of farmers. In order to maintain the quality of seed stock before use in rice cultivation, seed treatment is often performed
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