Postharvest biological control of garlic blue mold rot caused by Pantoea agglomereans and its mode of action

To screen for potential biocontrol agents against postharvest disease of garlics caused by Penicillium hirsutum, a total of 933 isolates (432 fungi and 501 bacteria) were isolated from the rhizoshere or rhizoplane of garlics. Among them, Pantoea agglomerans isolate 59-4 (Pa 59-4) was selected for a potential biocontrol agent by in vivo wounded garlic bulb assay, When the spore suspension (10$\^$5/ spores/$m\ell$) of Penicillium hirsutum was co-inoculated with spore or cell suspension of each fungal or bacterial isolate on wounded garlics, the isolate highly suppressed disease development. Soaking garlic bulbs in the suspension of Pa 59-4 significantly reduced garlic decay from p. hirsutum. However, Pa 59-4 did not inhibit the mycelial growth of P. hirsutum in dual-culture with P. hirsutum on Tryptic soy agar. In order to elucidate mode of action of Pa 59-4 nutrient competition between Pa 59-4 and P. hirsutum was investigated using tissue culture plates with cylinder inserts containing defusing membrane reported by Janisiewicz et al. The results showed that Pa 59-4 effectively suppressed spore germination and mycelial growth of blue mold in the low concentration (0.5％) of garlic juice, but did not suppress those of blue mold in the higher concentration (5％) of garlic juice. This result suggests that the mechanism in biocontrol of garlic blue mold by Pa 59-4 may involve in nutrient competition with P. hirsutum on garlic bulbs.