Biological Control of Postharvest Root Rots of Ginseng

수확 후 인삼뿌리썩음병의 생물학적 방제

The production of Korean ginseng, one of the most important medicinal root crops, is limited by many factors including soil sickness, root rots in fields as well as during storage prior to consumption. Although much research has been conducted on the diseases in field condition, little information is available on the control of postharvest roots rots. To obtain better management strategy of postharvest root rots in ginseng, biological control using antagonistic bacteria was attempted. Of 208 bacteria obtained form suppressive soil samples, 4 were selected based on the inhibitory effect on mycelial growth of two major causal fungi for postharvest root rots in ginseng, Botrytis cinerea and Fusarium solani. The culture filtrates of these bacterial antagonists greatly inhibited the conidial germination of both pathogenic fungi and produced abnormal morphology such as swollen germ tubes in F. solani and vacuolation of nongerminated conidia in B. cinerea. The population levels of bacterial antagonists on the ginseng roots were gradually increased up to 8 days of incubation. Postharvest root rots of ginseng caused by f. solani and B. cinerea were controlled in dipping tests in the ranges of 60∼80% by antagonistic Bacillus spp. obtained from suppressive soil. These results suggest that biological control using these antagonistic bacteria would be an alternative strategy to control postharvest root rots in ginseng.