Effects of Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0 on the Resistance of Wheat Seedling Roots to the Take-all Fungus Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici

The aim of this study was to verify that wheat seedlings treated with Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0 (CHA0 hereafter) before inoculation with Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici (Ggt), a pathogen of take-all, acquire induced resistance to Ggt. The soil with wheat seedlings growing on it was drenched with a suspension of CHA0 cells and inoculated with Ggt 24 h later. Then, the seedlings were grown in a glasshouse, and severity of take-all disease, fresh weights of root and shoot and lengths of root and shoot, and also the activities of soluble peroxidase (SPOX), ionically cell-wall-bound peroxidase (CWPOX), β-1,3-glucanase, β-1,4-glucanase and the concentration of total phenolic compounds in the root of the seedlings were examined. The results indicated that the treatment with CHA0 before inoculation with Ggt mitigated the disease severity significantly, and increased the root and shoot lengths and root and shoot fresh weights. The treatment with CHA0 increased the activities of SPOX, CWPOX, β-1-3-glucanase, β-1,4-glucanase and phenolic compounds in the wheat roots and the activities of SPOX and β-1,4-glucansee activities were highest at day 4 and those of CWPOX and β-1,3-glucanase at day 6 after inoculation with Ggt. The concentration of total phenolic compounds was also highest at day 6 after the inoculation with Ggt. The results suggest that the take-all suppressing effect of CHA0 may be related to enhanced defense response of the wheat roots

Biological control of Fusarium graminearum on wheat by antagonistic bacteria

Bacillus subtilis strains 53 and 71, Pseudomonas fluorescens biov1 strain 32 and Streptomyces sp. Strain 3 were evaluated as potential biological agents for control of fusarium head blight (FHB) caused by Fusarium graminearum. Mycelial growth of the pathogen was reduced by cell free and volatile metabolites of bacterial antagonists by 37%-97%. Streptomyces sp. Strain 3 reduced disease severity of FHB 21 d after inoculation. The yield of wheat from plants treated with Streptomyces sp. strain 3 and F. graminearum was significantly greater than in controls inoculated with the pathogen alone. Treatments with Streptomyces sp. alone increased the yield of wheat compared to the uninoculated controls

Table_1_Apple Endophytic fungi and their antagonism against apple scab disease.DOCX

Endophytic fungi are microorganisms with the ability to colonize plants for the entire or at least a significant part of their life cycle asymptomatically, establishing a plant-fungus association. They play an important role in balancing ecosystems, as well as benefiting host through increasing plant growth, and protecting the host plants from abiotic and biotic stresses using various strategies. In the present study, endophytic fungi were isolated from wild and endemic apple cultivars, followed by characterizing their antifungal effect against Venturia inaequalis. To characterize the endophytic fungi, 417 fungal strains were separated from 210 healthy fruit, leaf, and branch samples collected from the north of Iran. Among the purified fungal isolates, 33 fungal genera were identified based on the morphological characteristics, of which 38 species were detected according to the morphological features and molecular data of ITS, tef-1α, and gapdh genomic regions (related to the genus). The results represented that most of the endophytic fungi belonged to Ascomycota (67.8%), 31.4% of isolates were mycelia sterilia, while the others were Basidiomycota (0.48%) and Mucoromycota (0.24%). Additionally, Alternaria, Cladosporium, and Nigrospora were determined as the dominant genera. The antifungal properties of the identified isolates were evaluated against V. inaequalis in vitro to determine the release of media-permeable metabolites, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), chitinase, and cellulase as antifungal mechanisms, as well as producing phosphate solubilisation as growth-promoting effect. Based on the results of metabolite and VOC tests, the six isolates of Acremonium sclerotigenum GO13S1, Coniochaeta endophytica 55S2, Fusarium lateritium 61S2, Aureobasidium microstictum 7F2, Chaetomium globosum 2S1 and Ch. globosum 3 L2 were selected for greenhouse tests. Further, Co. endophytica 55S2 and F. lateritium 61S2 could solubilize inorganic phosphate. All isolates except Ch. globosum 3 L2 exhibited cellulase activity, while chitinase activity was observed in Ch. globosum 2S1, Ch. globosum 3 L2, and F. lateritium 61S2. Finally, Co. endophytica 55S2 and Ch. globosum 2S1 completely controlled the disease on the apple seedling leaves under greenhouse conditions.</p