Induced Systemic Resistance by Bacillus vallismortis EXTN-1 Suppressed Bacterial Wilt in Tomato Caused by Ralstonia solanacearum

Abstract

Biocontrol activity of five strains of selected rhizo-bacteria were tested in tomato against bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum. After root bacterization the plants were grown in a perlite-hydroponic system. Upon challenge inoculation with the pathogen, all of the rhizobacterial strains efficiently suppressed the bacterial wilt in tomato in various rates, at maximum by the strain, Bacillus vallismortis strain EXTN-1. While the percent of infected plants in the non-bacterized control plants were 95%, it was only 65% in plants pre-treated with EXTN-1. It was also demonstrated that the movement of R. solanacearum within the stem was significantly hampered when the plants were root bacterized. As EXTN-1 has no antagonistic properties against R. solanacearum, the bacterial wilt was probably suppressed by a mechanism other than antibiosis. Previously, the strain had been proven to produce an efficient elicitor for inducing systemic resistance in many crops. As the present study confirmed that EXTN-1 has the ability for reducing the pathogen spread in tomato, the strain could be effectively used as a potential biocontrol agent against bacterial wilt.