Biological Control of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in Lettuce Using Antagonistic Bacteria

• Main Authors: Bong-Goan Chon, Suji Park, Jin-Won Kim
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hanrimwon Publishing Company 2013-03-01
• Series: Research in Plant Disease
• Subjects: Antagonistic bacteria; Biological control; Lettuce; Sclerotinia rot
• Online Access: http://www.online-rpd.org/journal/view.html?uid=697&sort=&scale=&key=year&keyword=&s_v=19&s_n=1&pn=vol&year=2013&vmd=Full

To isolate antagonistic bacteria against sclerotinia rot of lettuce, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, soil samples were collected from the diseased greenhouse field in Namyangju city, Gyeong-gi province from 2007 to 2008. A total of 196 bacterial isolates were isolated using serial dilution method. In dual culture assay in vitro, 26 isolates showed more than 80% of inhibition rates of mycelial growth of S. sclerotiorum. Based on 16S rDNA sequence analysis, the 26 isolates were identified as Bacillus megaterium, B. cereus, B. subtilis, Arthrobacter nicotianae, A. ramosus, Pseudomonas filiscindens, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Brevibacterium frigoritolerans and Sphingobacterium faecium. The 26 isolates inhibited the mycelial growth of S. sclerotiorum up to 80% and the sclerotial germination 0−100%. In the greenhouse pot test of ten isolates conducted in summer, 2 isolates B. megaterium (DK6) and B. cereus (C210) showed control efficacy on sclerotia viability of S. sclerotiorum, 20% and 35%, respectively. In the greenhouse pot test in winter, the disease incidence of the control group was 80%, whereas those of 9 isolates among 26 were approximately 20%. From the result, the 9 isolates are expected as potentially antagonistic bacteria for biological control of sclerotinia rot of lettuce caused by S. sclerotiorum.