Colonization and Population Changes of a Biocontrol Agent, Paenibacillus polymyxa E681, in Seeds and Roots

Paenibacillus polymyxa E681, with its plant growth promotion and root colonization ability, has been proven to be a promising biocontrol agent of cucumber and barley. This study investigated the attributes related to the movement of bacteria from the seed to the radicle and to the whole root system. It also illustrated the existing form and population changes of the bacteria on seed and root using the scanning electron microscope and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The bacteria invaded and colonized the inside of the seed coat while the seeds were soaked in bacterial suspension. Almost the same number of bacteria on seed surface invaded the inside of the seed coat right after seed soaking. The population densities of E681 increased greatly inside as well as on the surface of the seed before the radicle emerged. The bacteria attached on the emerging radicle directly affected the initial population of newly emerg-ing root. The colonized cells on the root were arranged linearly toward the elongation of the root axis. In addition to colonizing the root surface, strain E681 was found inside the roots, where cells colonized the inter-cellular space between certain epidermal and cortical cells. When the cucumber seeds were soaked in bacterial suspension and sown in pot, the bacterial populations attached on both the surface and inside of the root were sustained up to harvesting time. This means that E681 successfully colonized the root of cucumber and sustained its population density up to harvesting time through seed treatment.