Abstract
Bacillus strains used in plant disease control produce cyclic lipopeptides (LPs) with antifungal activities. The LP concentration in Bacillus-cell suspensions may be insufficient to protect aerial plant parts against phytopathogens and the de novo metabolite production by bacteria on leaf surfaces is limited, leading to inconsistent control results in the field. We investigated the use of LP-enriched crude organic extracts of Bacillus velezensis strain B157 for controlling early blight, a destructive tomato disease caused by Alternaria linariae. Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry-based LP dereplication and molecular networking analysis revealed a complex mixture of iturins, fengycins, and surfactins in the organic extract of B157. Fengycins and iturins showed a marked in vitro antifungal activity. Treating tomato plants with the organic extract significantly reduced the severity of early blight, attaining more than 90% of disease control efficacy in two independent greenhouse experiments. These results show the potential of using LP-enriched biochemical fungicides for plant disease control.
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