In Vitro Biocontrol Activity of Methylobacterium Extorquens Against Fungal Pathogens

Abstract

Accepted : February, 2009 Biological control is an environmentalfriendly strategy to reduce crop damage caused by plant pathogens. Increasing concerns about pesticide use by the general public and governmental agencies are severely limiting the availability and use of many important pesticides. Fungicides that have been used as standards in many disease control programme have been increasingly regulated. Research efforts with pathogens have indicated that most of the biocontrol organisms either did not control the pathogen or they did not perform as well as selected fungicides. Pink pigmented facultative methylotroph (PPFM) belonging to the genus Methylobacterium are a physiologically interesting group of bacteria that preferentially utilize methanol and other reduced one carbon compounds such as formate and formaldehyde as sole source of carbon and energy via serine pathway (Green, 1992).These are ubiquitous in nature and are thus found in a variety of habitats (Green and Bousifield, 1983), including soil, dust, fresh water, leaf surfaces and nodules. PPFMs isolated from the liverwort stimulated growth and development of the liverwort (Scapania nemorosa) and Streptocarpus prolixus (flowering plant) in tissue cultures, a positive commensal interaction was proposed (Corpe and Basile, 1982).The growth enhancing effects of PPFM on plants in a tissue culture system