Abstract
An evaluation was conducted of the colonization of Pseudomonas protegens MP12, a plant-growth promoting and antagonistic strain, inoculated in vine plants during a standard process of grapevine nursery propagation. Three in vivo inoculation protocols (endophytic, rhizospheric, and epiphytic) were implemented and monitored by means of both culture-dependent and independent techniques. Endophytic treatment resulted in the colonization of the bacterium inside the vine cuttings, which spread to young leaves during the forcing period. Microscopy analysis performed on transformed dsRed-tagged P. protegens MP12 cells confirmed the bacterium’s ability to penetrate the inner part of the roots. However, endophytic MP12 strain was no longer detected once the plant materials had been placed in the vine nursery field. The bacterium also displayed an ability to colonize the rhizosphere and, when the plants were uprooted at the end of the vegetative season, its persistence was confirmed. Epiphytic inoculation, performed by foliar spraying of cell suspension, was effective in controlling artificially-induced Botrytis cinerea infection in detached leaves. The success of rhizospheric and leaf colonization in vine plants suggests potential for the future exploitation of P. protegens MP12 as biofertilizer and biopesticide. Further investigation is required into the stability of the bacterium’s colonization of vine plants under real-world conditions in vineyards.
Highlights
The grapevine is one of world’s commonest and most economically significant fruit crops [1]
Grapevine cultivation requires the extensive use of synthetic fungicides [4], but growing awareness of their dangerous side-effects on human health and the environment has led to a drive to find new alternative strategies for controlling fungal diseases
The applicative approach of this study demonstrated the success of rhizospheric colonization of P. protegens MP12 in vine plants through soil inoculation when these vines were planted in the nursery
Summary
The grapevine is one of world’s commonest and most economically significant fruit crops [1]. Almost every plant organ (i.e., stem, leaves, flowers) is susceptible to attack by fungal and bacterial pathogens [2], causing several financial losses in the global wine and grape industry [3]. Grapevine cultivation requires the extensive use of synthetic fungicides [4], but growing awareness of their dangerous side-effects on human health and the environment has led to a drive to find new alternative strategies for controlling fungal diseases. One of the most promising of these alternative strategies is the use of bacterial strains to counter phytopathogenic fungi [5,6,7]. Endophytic, epiphytic, and rhizospheric microorganisms are promising biocontrol agents [10,11,12], but their reduced biocontrol effectiveness when applied in open field rather than the laboratory is hampering their adoption by agriculture. The main concern regards the colonization and persistence of the microbial inoculum in plants [13,14]
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