Paenibacillus elgii SD17 as a Biocontrol Agent Against Soil-borne Turf Diseases

Paenibacillus elgii SD17 (KCTC $10016BP^T$=NBRC $100335^T$) was recently reported as a new species. Based on its inhibitory activity to Thanatephorus cucumeris AG1-1, strain SD17 was further evaluated for its potential as a biocontrol agent against soil-borne diseases of turf grasses in Korea. P. elgii SD17 showed a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity in vitro test and suppressed development of turf grass diseases; Pythium blight caused by Pythium aphanidermatum and brown patch caused by T. cucumeris AG1-1 on creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris) in the growth chamber tests. Under a condition for massive culture in a 5,000 L fermenter, P. elgii SD17 reached $6.4{\times}10^8$ spores/ml that resulted in approximately $1.0{\times}10^7$ cfu/g when formulated into a granule formulation (GR) using the whole culture broth instead of water. Using the GR formulation, biocontrol activity of P. elgii SD17 was confirmed. In the growth chamber tests, the GR formulation was effective against brown patch and Pythium blight with similar level of disease severity compared to each of the standard fungicides at the application rates of 10 g/$m^2$ or above. In the field tests, compared to each untreated control, the GR formulation also effectively controlled Pythium blight, brown patch and large patch at all the application rates of 5, 10 and 20 g/$m^2$, respectively, without significant response by the application rates. However its performance was inferior to each of the standard chemical fungicides. Based on these results, we consider this GR formulation of P. elgii SD17 as an effective biocontol agent to suppress Pythium blight, brown patch and large patch of turf grasses in Korea.