• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.136-143
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• 2007

Despite the increased interests in biological control of soilborne diesease for environmental protection, biological control of bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum have not provided consistent or satisfying results. To enhance the control efficacy and reducing the inconsistency and variability, combinations of specific strains of microorganisms, each having a specific mechanism of control, were applied in this study. More than 30 microorganisms able to reduce the activity of pathogen by specific mechanism of action were identified and tested for their disease suppressive effects. After in vitro compatibility examinations, 21 individual strains and 15 combinations were tested in the greenhouse. Results indicated three-way combinations of different mode of control, TS3-7+A253-16+SKU78 and TS1-5+A100-1+SKU78, enhanced disease suppression by 70%, as compared to 30-50% reduction for their individual treatments. This work suggests that combining multiple traits antagonizing the pathogen improve efficacy of the biocontrol agents against Ralstonia solanacearum.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Life Science Conference
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• 2007.10a
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• pp.105.2-105.2
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• 2007

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• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.315-324
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• 2016

Background: Biocontrol agents are regarded as promising and environmental friendly approaches as agrochemicals for phytodiseases that cause serious environmental and health problems. Trichoderma species have been widely used in suppression of soil-borne pathogens. In this study, an endophytic fungus, Trichoderma gamsii YIM PH30019, from healthy Panax notoginseng root was investigated for its biocontrol potential. Methods: In vitro detached healthy roots, and pot and field experiments were used to investigate the pathogenicity and biocontrol efficacy of T. gamsii YIM PH30019 to the host plant. The antagonistic mechanisms against test phytopathogens were analyzed using dual culture, scanning electron microscopy, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Tolerance to chemical fertilizers was also tested in a series of concentrations. Results: The results indicated that T. gamsii YIM PH30019 was nonpathogenic to the host, presented appreciable biocontrol efficacy, and could tolerate chemical fertilizer concentrations of up to 20%. T. gamsii YIM PH30019 displayed antagonistic activities against the pathogenic fungi of P. notoginseng via production of VOCs. On the basis of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, VOCs were identified as dimethyl disulfide, dibenzofuran, methanethiol, ketones, etc., which are effective ingredients for antagonistic activity. T. gamsii YIM PH30019 was able to improve the seedlings' emergence and protect P. notoginseng plants from soil-borne disease in the continuous cropping field tests. Conclusion: The results suggest that the endophytic fungus T. gamsii YIM PH30019 may have a good potential as a biological control agent against notoginseng phytodiseases and can provide a clue to further illuminate the interactions between Trichoderma and phytopathogens.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.129-136
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• 2021

Rice is responsible for the stable crop of 3 billion people worldwide, about half of Asian depends on it, and rice is grown in more than 100 countries. Rice diseases can lead to devastating economic loss by decreasing yield production, disturbing a stable food supply and demand chain. The most commonly used method to control rice disease is chemical control. However, misuse of chemical control can cause environmental pollution, residual toxicity, and the emergence of chemical-resistant pathogens, the deterioration of soil quality, and the destruction of biodiversity. In order to control rice diseases, research on alternative biocontrol is actively pursued including microorganism-oriented biocontrol agents. Microbial agents control plant disease through competition with and antibiotic effects and parasitism against plant pathogens. Microorganisms isolated from the rice rhizosphere are studied comprehensively as biocontrol agents against rice pathogens. Bacillus sp., Pseudomonas sp., and Trichoderma sp. were reported to control rice diseases, such as blast, sheath blight, bacterial leaf blight, brown spot, and bakanae diseases. Here we reviewed the microorganisms that are studied as biocontrol agents against rice diseases.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.108-122
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• 2023

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol) and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc), are the causal agent of Fusarium wilt disease of tomato and banana, respectively, and cause significant yield losses worldwide. A cost-effective measure, such as biological control agents, was used as an alternative method to control these pathogens. Therefore, in this study, six isolates of the Streptomyces-like colony were isolated from soils and their antagonistic activity against phytopathogenic fungi and plant growth-promoting (PGP) activity were assessed. The results showed that these isolates could inhibit the mycelial growth of Fol and Foc. Among them, isolate STRM304 showed the highest percentage of mycelial growth reduction and broad-spectrum antagonistic activity against all tested fungi. In the pot experiment study, the culture filtrate of isolates STRM103 and STRM104 significantly decreased disease severity and symptoms in Fol inoculated plants. Similarly, the culture filtrate of the STRM304 isolate significantly reduced the severity of the disease and symptoms of the disease in Foc inoculated plants. The PGP activity test presents PGP activities, such as indole acetic acid production, phosphate solubilization, starch hydrolysis, lignin hydrolysis, and cellulase activity. Interestingly, the application of the culture filtrate from all isolates increased the percentage of tomato seed germination and stimulated the growth of tomato plants and banana seedlings, increasing the elongation of the shoot and the root and shoot and root weight compared to the control treatment. Therefore, the isolate STRM103 and STRM104, and STRM304 could be used as biocontrol and PGP agents for tomato and banana, respectively, in sustainable agriculture.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.136-145
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• 2014

Background: This study aimed to develop a biocontrol system for ginseng root rot caused by Fusarium cf. incarnatum. Methods: In total, 392 bacteria isolated from ginseng roots and various soils were screened for their antifungal activity against the fungal pathogen, and a bacterial isolate (B2-5) was selected as a promising candidate for the biocontrol because of the strong antagonistic activity of the bacterial cell suspension and culture filtrate against pathogen. Results: The bacterial isolate B2-5 displayed an enhanced inhibitory activity against the pathogen mycelial growth with a temperature increase to $25^{\circ}C$, produced no pectinase (related to root rotting) an no critical rot symptoms at low [$10^6$ colony-forming units (CFU)/mL] and high ($10^8CFU/mL$) inoculum concentrations. In pot experiments, pretreatment with the bacterial isolate in the presumed optimal time for disease control reduced disease severity significantly with a higher control efficacy at an inoculum concentration of $10^6CFU/mL$ than at $10^8CFU/mL$. The establishment and colonization ability of the bacterial isolates on the ginseng rhizosphere appeared to be higher when both the bacterial isolate and the pathogen were coinoculated than when the bacterial isolate was inoculated alone, suggesting its target-oriented biocontrol activity against the pathogen. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the pathogen hyphae were twisted and shriveled by the bacterial treatment, which may be a symptom of direct damage by antifungal substances. Conclusion: All of these results suggest that the bacterial isolate has good potential as a microbial agent for the biocontrol of the ginseng root rot caused by F. cf. incarnatum.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.309-316
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• 2008

Mycelium of Ophiostoma quercus albino strain cultured in liquid culture media was harvested, lyophilized, and stored for examining biocontrol efficacy against wood discoloration by staining fungi in the laboratory and field conditions. Dry weight of mycelium grown in brown sugar yeast extract broth(BYB) showed 3.8 times higher than that grown in potato dextrose broth(PDB). The optimum culture period in BYB was 4 weeks. In vitality test of the albino strain, the lyophilized mycelium stored in liquid nitrogen($-196^{\circ}C$) or in a refrigerator($4^{\circ}C$) kept the vitality until 13 months after storage; however, the mycelium stored at room temperature lost the vitality completely after 13 months. The mycelium stored in liquid nitrogen or in a refrigerator protected wood chips from the discoloration by pretreating mycelial suspension on pine wood chips. The mycelium stored at room temperature for 7 months also showed complete protection. These results suggest that the lyophilized mycelium have a biocontrol efficacy only if it keeps the least vitality. In the field conditions, both albino strain and $Woodguard^{(R)}$(commercial chemical protectant) showed significant differences(p=0.05) in discoloration rate as compared to the non-treated control when these were treated on the wood logs of Pinus rigida. The albino strain showed better protection than $Woodguard^{(R)}$. Isolation frequency of blue stain fungi from the chips of wood logs treated with the albino strain was 0% at three months after treatment, while that treated with $Woodguard^{(R)}$ was 76.7%. In another experiment, pre-treatment of mycelial suspension on the cut surface of wood logs also showed significant protection from wood discoloration. Spraying of both albino strain on the cut surface and insecticides on the bark also showed relatively good control effects as compared to insecticide alone on the bark or nontreated control.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.84-86
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• 2014

Mass production of biocontrol agent is an essential step for its commercial use. Media composition and culture conditions for production of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SKU-78, a potential biocontrol agent against bacterial wilts, were optimized by a flask culture. Low cost media combining nitrogen and carbon sources were tested. Maximum cell growth (> $2{\times}10^9$ CFU/ml) was obtained in a medium of 5% soy flour combined with 3% corn starch after 24 h cultivation. The optimum initial pH, temperature and shaking speed was 5.5, $30^{\circ}C$ and 150-250 rpm, respectively. Fermentation of SKU-78 was scaled up in 30 L fermenter and the profiles of cell density, pH, dissolved oxygen and spore formation were recorded. After 8 h lag phase, exponential growth occurred and reached at maximum viable cell number ($1.2{\times}10^{11}$ CFU/ml) after 20 h. The SKU-78 strain grown in a low cost medium exhibited the high suppression of bacterial wilts. The results indicate that SKU-78 strain can be produced in a low cost medium and provide a basis for scaling up to industrial level.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.304-311
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• 2018

Background: Ginseng black spot disease resulting from Alternaria panax Whuetz is a common soil-borne disease, with an annual incidence rate higher than 20-30%. In this study, the bacterial strains with good antagonistic effect against A. panax are screened. Methods: A total of 285 bacterial strains isolated from ginseng rhizosphere soils were screened using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method and the Oxford cup plate assay. We analyzed the antifungal spectrum of SZ-22 by confronting incubation. To evaluate the efficacy of biocontrol against ginseng black spot and for growth promotion by SZ-22, we performed pot experiments in a plastic greenhouse. Taxonomic position of SZ-22 was identified using morphology, physiological, and biochemical characteristics, 16S ribosomal DNA, and gyrB sequences. Results: SZ-22 (which was identified as Brevundimonas terrae) showed the strongest inhibition rate against A. panax, which showed 83.70% inhibition, and it also provided broad-spectrum antifungal effects. The inhibition efficacies of the SZ-22 bacterial suspension against ginseng black spot reached 82.47% inhibition, which is significantly higher than that of the 25% suspension concentrate azoxystrobin fungicide treatment (p < 0.05). Moreover, the SZ-22 bacterial suspension also caused ginseng plant growth promotion as well as root enhancement. Conclusion: Although the results of the outdoor pot-culture method were influenced by the pathogen inoculum density, the cropping history of the field site, and the weather conditions, B. terrae SZ-22 controlled ginseng black spot and promoted ginseng growth successfully. This study provides resource for the biocontrol of ginseng black spot.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.1613-1620
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• 2012

Bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum is a devastating disease of many economically important crops. Since there is no promising control strategy for bacterial wilt, phage therapy could be adopted using virulent phages. We used phage PE204 as a model lytic bacteriophage to investigate its biocontrol potential for bacterial wilt on tomato plants. The phage PE204 has a short-tailed icosahedral structure and double-stranded DNA genome similar to that of the members of Podoviridae. PE204 is stable under a wide range of temperature and pH, and is also stable in the presence of the surfactant Silwet L-77. An artificial soil microcosm (ASM) to study phage stability in soil was adopted to investigate phage viability under a controlled system. Whereas phage showed less stability under elevated temperature in the ASM, the presence of host bacteria helped to maintain a stable phage population. Simultaneous treatment of phage PE204 at $10^8$ PFU/ml with R. solanacearum on tomato rhizosphere completely inhibited bacterial wilt occurrence, and amendment of Silwet L-77 at 0.1% to the phage suspension did not impair the disease control activity of PE204. The biocontrol activities of phage PE204 application onto tomato rhizosphere before or after R. solanacearum inoculation were also investigated. Whereas pretreatment with the phage was not effective in the control of bacterial wilt, post-treatment of PE204 delayed bacterial wilt development. Our results suggested that appropriate application of lytic phages to the plant root system with a surfactant such as Silwet L-77 could be used to control the bacterial wilt of crops.