• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.252-257
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• 1995

Growth rates of the low temperature growing isolates, Pseudomonas fluorescens M45 and MC07, reached maximum stationary phase within 50 hrs at the low temperature, 4$^{\circ}C$. But an ordinary biocontrol agent P. putida Pf3 did not reach logarithmic growth phase until 80 hrs. The culture filtrates of M45 and MC07 significantly inhibited the mycelial growths of Pythium ultimum, Rhizoctonia solani and Phytophthora capsici. Detached cotyledons of cucumber grown on Murashige and Skoog agar medium were much enhanced in their growth, compared to those without the filtrates. Population densities of M45 and MC07 in the rhizosphere at 14$^{\circ}C$ were more stable than at 27$^{\circ}C$. When M45 and MC07 were treated into soil, the population density of MC07 continuously increased up to 9 days after treatment, and sustained the initial inoculum density up to 60 days. Cucumber damping-offs caused by P. ultimum and R. solani were significantly reduced by applying M45 as seed-inoculant and by soil treatment with MC07. The combined treatment of M45 and MC07 provided greater effect in reducing the disease incidence than that obtained by single treatments.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.109-112
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• 2007

This study was to examine the efficacy of a root-dipping application of antagonistic bacterial strains for the control of Phytophthora blight of pepper caused by P. capcisi, and to evaluate their plant growth-promoting effects in the field in 2005 and 2006. The candidate antagonistic rhizobacterial strains CCR04, CCR80, GSE09, ISE13, and ISE14 were treated by dipping plant roots with bacterial suspensions prior to transplanting. The candidate rhizobacterial strains CCR04, CCR80, GSE09, and ISE14 significantly (P=0.05) reduced the disease incidence and the area under the disease progress curves when compared to buffer-treated controls in at least a year test. The metalaxy l(fungicide-treated control) resulted in one of the lowest disease incidences among the treatments in both years. Moreover, the strains CCR04, CCR80, GSE09, and ISE13 significantly (P=0.05) increased the fruit weights and/or numbers of peppers in at least a year test compared to the buffer-treated controls. These results suggest that the antagonistic rhizobacterial strains CCR04, CCR80, and GSE09 could be efficient biocontrol agents by controlling Phytophthora blight of pepper and promoting the plant growth when treated with root-dipping at transplanting.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.9
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• pp.1578-1583
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• 2008

Rhizobacteria are used as inoculants to enhance crop yield and for biological control of fungal pathogens. Fluorescent pseudomonads isolated from the rhizosphere of groundnut showed suppression of the phytopathogen Macrophomina phaseolina that causes charcoal rot of groundnut, an economically important agroproduct. Two strains of fluorescent pseudomonads, designated as PS1 and PS2, were selected as a result of in vitro antifungal activity. After 5 days of incubation at $28{\pm}1^{\circ}C$, both PS1 and PS2 caused clear inhibition zones in dual cultures, restricting the growth of M. phaseolina by 71 % and 74%, respectively. Both the strains were capable of producing siderophores, indole acetic acid, and hydrocyanic acid, and causing phosphate solubilization under normal growth conditions. These strains, when used as inoculants in groundnut, enhanced germination up to 15% and 30% with subsequent increase in grain yield by 66% and 77%, respectively. Conversely, when the pathogen alone was tested 57% decrease in yield was recorded. Thus the studies revealed the potential of the two pseudomonads not only as biocontrol agents against M. phaseolina, but also as a good growth promoter for groundnut.

• Mycobiology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.164-166
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• 2013

A Bacillus sp. BS061 significantly reduced disease incidence of gray mold and powdery mildew. To identify the active principle, the culture filtrate was partitioned between butanol and water. The antifungal activity against B. cinerea was evident in the butanol-soluble portion, and active substances were identified as cyclic lipopeptides, iturin A series, by nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry (NMR) and mass analysis. Interestingly, antifungal activity against powdery mildew was observed in the water-soluble portion, suggesting that cyclic lipopeptides have no responsibility to suppress powdery mildew. This finding reveals that biocontrol agents of Bacillus origin suppress gray mold and powdery mildew through the secretion of different bioactive substances.

• Mycobiology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.370-378
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• 2017

Cylindrocarpon destructans is an ascomycete soil-borne pathogen that causes ginseng root rot. To identify effective biocontrol agents, we isolated several bacteria from ginseng cultivation soil and evaluated their antifungal activity. Among the isolated bacteria, one isolate (named JH7) was selected for its high antibiotic activity and was further examined for antagonism against fungal pathogens. Strain JH7 was identified as a Chromobacterium sp. using phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. This strain was shown to produce antimicrobial molecules, including chitinases and proteases, but not cellulases. Additionally, the ability of JH7 to produce siderophore and solubilize insoluble phosphate supports its antagonistic and beneficial traits for plant growth. The JH7 strain suppressed the conidiation, conidial germination, and chlamydospore formation of C. destructans. Furthermore, the JH7 strain inhibited other plant pathogenic fungi. Thus, it provides a basis for developing a biocontrol agent for ginseng cultivation.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.362-371
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• 2019

Plant phenotype is affected by a community of associated microorganisms which requires dissection of the functional fraction. In this study, we aimed to culture the functionally active fraction of an upland soil microbiome, which can suppress tomato bacterial wilt. The microbiome fraction (MF) from the rhizosphere of Hawaii 7996 treated with an upland soil or forest soil MF was successively cultured in a designed modified M9 (MM9) medium partially mimicking the nutrient composition of tomato root exudates. Bacterial cells were harvested to amplify V3 and V4 regions of 16S rRNA gene for QIIME based sequence analysis and were also treated to Hawaii 7996 prior to Ralstonia solanacearum inoculation. The disease progress indicated that the upland MM9 $1^{st}$ transfer suppressed the bacterial wilt. Community analysis revealed that species richness was declined by successive cultivation of the MF. The upland MM9 $1^{st}$ transfer harbored population of phylum Proteobacteria (98.12%), Bacteriodetes (0.69%), Firmicutes (0.51%), Actinobacteria (0.08%), unidentified (0.54%), Cyanobacteria (0.01%), FBP (0.001%), OD1 (0.001%), Acidobacteria (0.005%). The family Enterobacteriaceae of Proteobacteria was the dominant member (86.76%) of the total population of which genus Enterobacter composed 86.76% making it a potential candidate to suppress bacterial wilt. The results suggest that this mixed culture approach is feasible to harvest microorganisms which may function as biocontrol agents.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.490-502
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• 2022

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) causes bacterial leaf blight (BLB) disease in rice (Oryza sativa L.) and it is among the most destructive pathogen responsible for severe yield losses. Potential bacterial biocontrol agents (BCAs) with plant growth promotion (PGP) abilities can be applied to better manage the BLB disease and increase crop yield, compared to current conventional practices. Thus, this study aimed to isolate, screen, and identify potential BCAs with PGP abilities. Isolation of the BCAs was performed from internal plant tissues and rhizosphere soil of healthy and Xoo-infected rice. A total of 18 bacterial strains were successfully screened for in vitro antagonistic ability against Xoo, siderophore production and PGP potentials. Among the bacterial strains, 3 endophytes, Bacillus sp. strain USML8, Bacillus sp. strain USML9, and Bacillus sp. strain USMR1 which were isolated from diseased plants harbored the BCA traits and significantly reduced leaf blight severity of rice. Simultaneously, the endophytic BCAs also possessed plant growth promoting traits and were able to enhance rice growth. Application of the selected endophytes (BCAs-PGP) at the early growth stage of rice exhibited potential in suppressing BLB disease and promoting rice growth.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.104.1-104
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• 2003

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.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.453-460
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• 2008

In the course of in vitro and in vivo screening for bioherbicidal agents, a hyphomycete fungus, Myrothecium sp. F0252 was selected as a candidate for the biocontrol of weeds. The isolate was identified as Myrothecium roridum Tode ex. Fries based on the morphological characteristics and 18S ribosomal DNA sequence analysis and registered as Myrothecium roridum F0252. In order to evaluate the in vitro effect of M. roridum F0252 on germination of ladino clover and white clover (Trifolium repens L.) seeds, spore solution of the fungus was employed in two concentrations, $6.5{\times}10^6$ and $2.5{\times}10^7$ spores per mL and then inoculated to the seeds. The fungal spores inhibited the seed germination, infected the seedlings, and caused an abnormal withering and inhibition of seedling growth. In addition, when the herbicidal activity of crude ethyl acetate extract from the liquid culture was assessed on a mini-plant, duck-weed (Lemna paucicostata (L.) Hegelm.), the extract showed high inhibitory effect at the level of $12.5{\mu}g$ per mL. On the other hand, in vivo herbicidal activity of M. roridum F0252 was evaluated by a whole plant spray method. M. roridum F0252 exhibited strong and broad-spectrum herbicidal activity. The herbicidal values ranged from 95-100% against 7 weeds, including Abutilon avicennae and Xanthium strumarium, and 70-80% against Digitaria sanguinalis and Sagittaria pygmaea. When the nutritional utilization (95 carbon sources) pattern of M. roridum F0252 was investigated, it varied with water activity ($a_w$) and temperature conditions, supplying good, basic information in regard to nutritional utilization for proper cultivation and formulation. Our results showed that M. roridum F0252 might be used as a potential biocontrol agent against weedy plants.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.126-138
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• 2018

Rice blast caused by Magnaporthe oryzae is a major disease. In the present study, we aimed to identify and evaluate the novel bacterial isolates from rice rhizosphere for biocontrol of M. oryzae pathogen. Sixty bacterial strains from the rice plant's rhizosphere were tested for their biocontrol activity against M. oryzae under in vitro and in vivo. Among them, B. amyloliquefaciens had significant high activity against the pathogen. The least disease severity and highest germination were recorded in seeds treated with B. amyloliquefaciens UASBR9 (0.96 and 98.00%) compared to untreated control (3.43 and 95.00%, respectively) under in vivo condition. These isolates had high activity of enzymes in relation to growth promoting activity upon challenge inoculation of the pathogen. The potential strains were identified based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing and dominance of these particular genes were associated in Bacillus strains. These strains were also confirmed for the presence of antimicrobial peptide biosynthetic genes viz., srfAA (surfactin), fenD (fengycin), spaS (subtilin), and ituC (iturin) related to secondary metabolite production (e.g., AMPs). Overall, the results suggested that application of potential bacterial strains like B. amyloliquefaciens UASBR9 not only helps in control of the biological suppression of one of the most devastating rice pathogens, M. grisea but also increases plant growth along with a reduction in application of toxic chemical pesticides.