• Mycobiology
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.126-133
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• 2019

Isaria javanica pf185 is an important entomopathogenic fungus with potential for use as an agricultural biocontrol agent. However, the effect of I. javanica pf185 on plant growth is unknown. Enhanced tobacco growth was observed when tobacco roots were exposed to spores, cultures, and fungal cell-free culture supernatants of this fungus. Tobacco seedlings were also exposed to the volatiles of I. javanica pf185 in vitro using I-plates in which the plant and fungus were growing in separate compartments connected only by air space. The length and weight of seedlings, content of leaf chlorophyll, and number of root branches were significantly increased by the fungal volatiles. Heptane, 3-hexanone, 2,4-dimethylhexane, and 2-nonanone were detected, by solid-phase micro-extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrophotometry, as the key volatile compounds produced by I. javanica pf185. These findings illustrate that I. javanica pf185 can be used to promote plant growth, and also as a biocontrol agent of insect and plant diseases. Further studies are necessary to elucidate the mechanisms by which I. javanica pf185 promotes plant growth.

• Mycobiology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.286-294
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• 2010

Epicoccum purpurascens stain 5615 AUMC was investigated for its biocontrol activity against root rot disease caused by Pythium irregulare. E. purpurascens greenhouse pathogenicity tests using three leguminous plants indicated that the fungus was nonpathogenic under the test conditions. The germination rate of the three species of legume seeds treated with a E. purpurascens homogenate increased significantly compared with the seeds infested with P. irregulare. No root rot symptoms were observed on seeds treated with E. purpurascens, and seedlings appeared more vigorous when compared with the non-treated control. A significant increase in seedling growth parameters (seedling length and fresh and dry weights) was observed in seedlings treated with E. purpurascens compared to pathogen-treated seedlings. Pre-treating the seeds with the bioagent fungus was more efficient for protecting seeds against the root rot disease caused by P. irregulare than waiting for disease dispersal before intervention. To determine whether E. purpurascens produced known anti-fungal compounds, an acetone extract of the fungus was analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The extract revealed a high percentage of the cinnamic acid derivative (trimethylsiloxy) cinnamic acid methyl ester. The E. purpurascens isolate grew more rapidly than the P. irregulare pathogen in a dual culture on potato dextrose agar nutrient medium, although the two fungi grew similarly when cultured separately. This result may indicate antagonism via antibiosis or competition.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.218-235
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• 2018

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and endophytic bacteria were isolated from different varieties of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) from South India. Totally 50 strains representing, 30 PGPR and 20 endophytic bacteria were identified based on biochemical assays and 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The isolates were screened for antagonistic activity against Pythium aphanidermatum (Edson) Fitzp., and Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn., causing rhizome rot and leaf blight diseases in turmeric, by dual culture and liquid culture assays. Results revealed that only five isolates of PGPR and four endophytic bacteria showed more than 70% suppression of test pathogens in both assays. The SEM studies of interaction zone showed significant ultrastructural changes of the hyphae like shriveling, breakage and desication of the pathogens by PGPR B. cereus (RBacDOB-S24) and endophyte P. aeruginosa (BacDOB-E19). Selected isolates showed multiple Plant growth promoting traits. The rhizome bacterization followed by soil application of B. cereus (RBacDOB-S24) showed lowest Percent Disease Incidence (PDI) of rhizome rot and leaf blight, 16.4% and 15.5% respectively. Similarly, P. aeruginosa (BacDOB-E19) recorded PDI of rhizome rot (17.5%) and leaf blight (17.7%). The treatment of these promising isolates exhibited significant increase in plant height and fresh rhizome yield/plant in comparison with untreated control under greenhouse condition. Thereby, these isolates can be exploited as a potential biocontrol agent for suppressing rhizome rot and leaf blight diseases in turmeric.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.156-163
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• 2011

Antifungal activity of three Myxococcus spp., KYC 1126, 1136, and 2001, was tested in vitro against three phytopathogenic fungi (Botrytis cinerea, Colletotrichum acutatum, and Pyricularia grisea). Spore germination and mycelial growth of the three pathogenic fungi were completely inhibited by bioactive substances from a myxobacterium KYC 1126. In addition, the activity of KYC 1126 was fungicidal, but liquid culture filtrate of KYC 1126 did not affect protoplast reversion in C. acutatum. A bioassay of KYC 1126 filtrate against anthracnose in hot pepper was conducted in the greenhouse and field at 2009 and 2010. The incidence of anthracnose in control seedlings was 74%, but was reduced to 29% after KYC 1126 treatment. The control value with KYC 1126 was 60% while that with the fungicide dithianon was 42%. In the greenhouse, disease incidence with KYC 1126 was consistentely 10-35% lower than with fungicide as a positive control. The control value with KYC 1126 was 13.4% and 41.0%, whereas that with the fungicide was 52.3% and 63% in 2009 and 2010, respectively. Although anti-anthracnose activity of KYC 1126 was not maintained for long time in the field, the bacteriolytic myxobacterium KYC 1126 could be a prospective biocontrol agent.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.175-179
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• 2004

Trichoderma harzianum-THN1 parasitising the egg masses of root knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita was isolated from galled mulberry roots and evaluated for its potential to control root knot disease. In pot experiments root galling was reduced and leaf yield increased significantly following soil treatment with T. harzianum-THN1. The extracts obtained from the soils inoculated with T. harzianum-THN1 drastically inhibited the hatching of nematode eggs and the effect was irreversible even after the eggs were transferred to fresh water. The fungus was equally effective in controlling the disease in nematode infested mulberry garden under field conditions which was significant over the most commonly used egg parasitic fungus Paecilomyces lilacinus. The disease reduction recorded with T. harzianum was on par with the plants treated with the nematicide Carbofuran. The results suggest that T. harzianum- THN1 could be used as a potent ecofriendly biocontrol agent against M. incognita in mulberry without any residual toxicity to silkworms. T. harzianum- THN1 can form an important component of integrated disease management package in mulberry cultivation.

• Mycobiology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.180-184
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• 2000

In order to find an environment-friendly method to suppress astragal stem rot caused by the isolates of Rhizoctonia solani AG 1 and AG 4, we tested an antagonistic fungus Gliocladium virens G1 was evaluated as a biocontrol agent and estimated inorganic compounds and organic materials were tested for their effect of the disease suppression. G. virens G1 effectively inhibited mycelial growth in a dual culture and caused mycelial lysis in the culture filtrate. No adverse effect was observed when examined for seed germination and seedling growth. Promoted seedling growth was observed with the seed treatment. Seeds of astragal plant were germinated higher in the sterile soil than the natural soil. Of 14 inorganics tested, alum, aluminum sulfate and calcium oxide significantly suppressed the mycelial growth and sclerotial germination. Milled pine bark and oak sawdust also suppressed the mycelial growth. Soil amended with 1% of G. virens G1 composted with pine bark (w/v) significantly controlled astragal stem rot in the glasshouse experiments.

• BMB Reports
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.82-88
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• 2005

Bacillus cereus 28-9 is a chitinolytic bacterium isolated from lily plant in Taiwan. This bacterium exhibited biocontrol potential on Botrytis leaf blight of lily as demonstrated by a detached leaf assay and dual culture assay. At least two chitinases (ChiCW and ChiCH) were excreted by B. cereus 28-9. The ChiCW-encoding gene was cloned and moderately expressed in Escherichia coli DH5$\alpha$. Near homogenous ChiCW was obtained from the periplasmic fraction of E. coli cells harboring chiCW by a purification procedure. An in vitro assay showed that the purified ChiCW had inhibitory activity on conidial germination of Botrytis elliptica, a major fungal pathogen of lily leaf blight.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.334-340
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• 2000

In order to select multifunctional powerful antagonistic biocontrol agent against red-pepper rotting fungi Phytophthora capsici, we isolated an indigenous antagonistic bacterium which produces antifungal substances and siderophores from a local soil of Kyongju, Korea. The isolated strain was identified as Pseudomonas fluorescens biotype F. The antibiotic produced from P. fluorescens 2112 inhibited hyphae growth and the zoospore germination of Phytophthora capsici. The favorable carbon, nitrogen source and salts for the production of antibiotic from P. fluorescens 2112 were glycerol, beef extract and LiCi at 1.0%, 0.5% and 5 mM, respectively. And antagonistic activity of P. fluorescens 2112 was confirmed against P. capsici in vivo.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.396-402
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• 1997

Biocontrol of plant pathogens provides an alternative means of reducing the incidence of plant diseases without the negative aspects of chemical pesticides. Nowdays, as the resistant fungi about the chemical fungicides have revealed and the concern of environment has increased, the biological control of phytopathogenic fungi by the antagonistic microorganisms is very much indispensable. For the selection of strong antagonistic bacterium for biological control agent of rice leafblast and cucumber gray mold rot, the antifungal strain KL-3 strain was selected among 120 strains isolated from the rhizosphere soils. And the strain was identified to be a species of Bacillus subtilis or closely related strain. In several biochemical and in vitro antibiosis tests, antifungal substances of Bacillus sp. KL-3 were presumed heat stable, micromolecular antibiotic substances. In vivo test and vinyl house field test, the antifungal substances of Bacillus sp. KL-3 represented excellent biocontrol ability aganist Alternaria mali, Phyricularia oryzae, and Alternaria kikuchiana as well as broad spectrum of other fungi. In particular, Bacillus sp. KL-3 strain showed more predominant activity than some chemical fungicides against fungi shown to resist chemcal fungicides.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.349-353
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• 1999

Antagonistic Promicromonospora sp. KH-28 isolated from a suppressive soil could produced a chitinase and a antifungal antibiotic for the biocontrol ability. The chitinase and the antibiotic appeared to inhibit plant pathogens of Fusarium oxysporum. Phytophthora capsici, Alternaria kiki, fusarium solani, Stemphylium sp., and Psudomonas fluorescens. the antibiotic produced from the strain was identified as a antifungal substance of 503 dalton having a pyrimidine skeleton with an aliphatic side chain. The Promicromonospora sp. KH-28 was able to suppress effectively F. oxysporum derived-fusarium wilt of red-pepper plant in the pot in vivo test.