Kyungseok Park

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

【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.】

Systemic Resistance and Expression of the Pathogenesis-Related Genes Mediated by the Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacterium Bacillus amyloliquefaciens EXTN-1 Against Anthracnose Disease in Cucumber

Plants have the ability to acquire an enhanced level of resistance to pathogen attack after being exposed to specific biotic stimuli. To obtain plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria inducing resistance against cucumber anthracnose by Colletotrichum orbiculare, more than 800 strains of rhizobacteria were screened in the greenhouse. Among these strains, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens solate EXTN-1 showed significant disease control efficacy on the plants. Induction of pathogenesis-related (PR-1a) gene expression by EXTN-1 was assessed using tobacco plants transformed with PR-1a::β-glucuronidase (GUS) construct. GUS activities of tobacco treated with EXTN-1 and salicylic acid-treated transgenic tobacco were significantly higher than those of tobacco plants with other treatments. Gene expression analyses indicated that EXTN-1 induces the accumulation of defense-related genes of tobacco. The results showed that some defense genes are expressed by the treatment with EXTN-1 suggesting the similar resistance mechanism by salicylic acid.

Bacillus spp. as Biocontrol Agents of Root Rot and Phytophthora Blight on Ginseng

Ginseng (Panax ginseng) is one of the most widely cultivated medicinal herbs in Korea. However, yield losses reached up to 30-60％ due to various diseases during 3 or 5 years of ginseng cultivation in the country. Therefore, successful production of ginseng roots depends primarily on the control of diseases. The objective of this study was to select potential biocontrol agents from rhizobacteria isolated from various plant internal root tissues for the control of multiple ginseng diseases as an alternative to fungicides. Among 106 Bacillus strains, two promising biocontrol agents, Bacillus pumilus strain B1141 and Paenibacillus lentimobus strain B1146, were selected by screening against root rot of ginseng caused by Cylindrocarpon destructans in a greenhouse. Pre-inoculation of selected isolates to seed or l-year-old root of ginseng resulted in stimulation of shoot and/or root growth of seedlings, and successfully controlled root rot caused by C. destructans (P

Biocontrol of Phytophthora Blight and Anthracnose in Pepper by Sequentially Selected Antagonistic Rhizobacteria against Phytophthora capsici.

We previously developed a sequential screening procedure to select antagonistic bacterial strains against Phytophthora capsici in pepper plants. In this study, we used a modified screening procedure to select effective biocontrol strains against P. capsici; we evaluated the effect of selected strains on Phytophthora blight and anthracnose occurrence and fruit yield in pepper plants under field and plastic house conditions from 2007 to 2009. We selected four potential biocontrol strains (Pseudomonas otitidis YJR27, P. putida YJR92, Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens YJR102, and Novosphingobium capsulatum YJR107) among 239 bacterial strains. In the 3-year field tests, all the selected strains significantly (P < 0.05) reduced Phytophthora blight without influencing rhizosphere microbial populations; they showed similar or better levels of disease suppressions than in metalaxyl treatment in the 2007 and 2009 tests, but not in the 2008 test. In the 2-year plastic house tests, all the selected strains significantly (P < 0.05) reduced anthracnose incidence in at least one of the test years, but their biocontrol activities were variable. In addition, strains YJR27, YJR92, and YJR102, in certain harvests, increased pepper fruit numbers in field tests and red fruit weights in plastic house tests. Taken together, these results indicate that the screening procedure is rapid and reliable for the selection of potential biocontrol strains against P. capsici in pepper plants. In addition, these selected strains exhibited biocontrol activities against anthracnose, and some of the strains showed plant growth-promotion activities on pepper fruit.

Review of Disease Incidences of Major Crops of the South Korea in 2005

In 2004, average temperature was higher, and rainfall was less than those of previous year, The diseases of rice, barley, pepper, chinese melon, apple and oriental pear were surveyed. Seedling diseases, leaf blast, sheath blight and bacterial blight of rice, phytophthova blight, virus diseases and anthracnose of pepper, and sudden wilt syndrome and powdery mildew of chinese melon grown in plastic greenhouse were severe. Especially, sheath blight and bacterial blight of rice occurred two times higher than those of previous year, Panicle blight of rice decreased about 4 times, compared with the previous year, presumed that the lower rainy days, rainfall and RH suppressed spread of the fungal pathogens to panicles of rice. Lower rainfall during mid- and late Aug caused three-times less occurrence of phytophtora blight of red-pepper than that of the previous year, Another diseases surveyed occurred similar or less than those of the previous year.

Biological control of Colletotrichum panacicola on Panax ginseng by Bacillus subtilis HK-CSM-1

Background Biological control of plant pathogens using benign or beneficial microorganisms as antagonistic agents is currently considered to be an important component of integrated pest management in agricultural crops. In this study, we evaluated the potential of Bacillus subtilis strain HK-CSM-1 as a biological control agent against Colletotrichum panacicola. Methods The potential of B. subtilis HK-CSM-1 as a biological control agent for ginseng anthracnose was assessed. C. panacicola was inoculated to ginseng plants and the incidence and severity of disease was assessed to examine the efficacy of the bacterium as a biological control against C. panacicola. Results Inoculation of Panax ginseng plants with B. subtilis significantly suppressed the number of disease lesions of C. panacicola and was as effective as the chemical fungicide iminoctadine tris(albesilate). The antifungal activity of B. subtilis against C. panacicola was observed on a co-culture medium. Interestingly, treatment with B. subtilis did not significantly affect the diameter of the lesions, suggesting that the mechanism of protection was through the reduction in the incidence of infection related to the initial events of the infection cycle, including penetration and infection via spore germination and appressorium formation rather than by the inhibition of invasive growth after infection. Conclusion Our results suggest that B. subtilis HK-CSM-1 can be used as an effective and ecologically friendly biological control agent for anthracnose in P. ginseng.

Development of In Vitro Seedling Screening Method for Selection of Resistant Rice Against Bakanae Disease

Rice bakanae disease, caused by the fungus Fusarium fujikuroi, is one of the most important rice diseases and distributed widely in Asia. Resistance screening system in rice field had been established. However, the evaluation results of the system vary according to the environmental conditions when the test is conducted. To develop precise and rapid evaluation method of disease resistance of rice to bakanae disease, in vitro screening system was attempted in this study. The six cultivars namely, `Nampyeongbyeo`, `Junambyeo`, `Chucheongbyeo`, `Samcheonbyeo`, `Odaebyeo` and `Hwasinbyeo` were tested. They were planted onto MS agar medium (10 ml) in test tube () and incubated at and in growth chamber under 12 hr light condition. Symptoms of over growth appeared a few days after seeding and then seedling were withered 2-3 weeks after over growth. The disease symptoms such as leaf dryness on top of rice were appeared in the `Nampyeongbyeo` from 28 days at the concentration of spores/ml culturing at and then withered completely 35 days after seeding. Whereas the other varieties withered entirely 19-23 days after seeding. Using the in vitro seedling screening method, 72 rice varieties were investigated to select resistant cultivar. Finally, two resistant cultivars (`Nampyeongbyeo` and `Inwolbyeo`) and seven moderately resistant cultivars (`Hwadongbyeo`, `Seokjeongbyeo`, `Samgwangbyeo`, `Sampyeongbyeo`, `Nonghobyeo`, `Heukjinjubyeo` and, `Joanbyeo`) were selected. If in vitro seedling screening method was used for evaluation of bakanae disease resistance, it would be completed within 35 days after sowing of rice seed.

A Simple and Rapid Method for Functional Analysis of Plant Growth-promoting Rhizobacteria Using the Development of Cucumber Adventitious Root System

Many plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs) have been known for beneficial effects on plants including biological control of soilborne pathogens, induced systemic resistance to plant pathogens, phytohormone production, and improvement of nutrient and water uptake of plants. We developed a simple and rapid method for screening potential PGPR, especially phytohormone producing rhizobacteria, or for analyzing their functions in plant growth using cucumber seedling cuttings. Surface-sterilized cucumber seeds were grown in a plastic pot containing steamed vermiculite. After 7 days of cultivation, the upper part 2 cm in length of cucumber seedling, was cut and used as cucumber cuttings. The base of cutting stem was then dipped in a microcentrifuge tube containing 1.5ml of a bacterial suspension and incubated at with a fluorescent light for 10 days. Number and length of developed adventitious roots from cucumber cuttings were examined. The seedling cuttings showed various responses to the isolates tested. Some isolates resulted in withering at the day of examination or in reduced number of roots developed. Several isolates stimulated initial development of adventitious roots showing more adventitious root hair number than that of untreated cuttings, while some isolate had more adventitious root hair number and longer adventitious roots than that of untreated control. Similar results were obtained from the trial with rose cuttings. Our results suggest that this bioassay method may provide a useful way for differentiating PGPR`s functions involved in the development of root system.

Elicitation of induced systemic resistance of chili pepper by iturin A analogs derived from Bacillus vallismortis EXTN-1

Abstract: Cyclic lipopeptides (CLPs) derived from plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are well known as potential antifungal compounds. However, the physiological function of CLPs from Bacillus vallismortis strain EXTN-1 (EXTN-1) is still poorly understood. In this study, we proposed the potential role of iturin A analogs in modulation of induced systemic resistance (ISR) of chili pepper in response to Phytophthora capsici. Seven individual iturin A analogs were identified from EXTN-1, and iturin A analogs pre-treated plants resulted in a significant reduction of disease. However, no iturins directly inhibited growth of P. capsici in vitro antibiosis assay, indicating the existence of other possibilities for suppression of disease. The expression analysis of defense-related marker genes PR1, PR4, PR10, chitinase, peroxidase, and ß-1,3-glucanase revealed that transcript levels of these genes were dramatically up-regulated in iturin A analog treated plants after inoculation of P. capsici, suggesting that iturin-triggered plant systemic defense responses were involved in attenuating the disease symptoms. Collectively, our results clearly suggest that iturin A analogs from EXTN-1 are required for alleviation of P. capsici-mediated disease incidence.

Paromomycin derived from Streptomyces sp. AG-P 1441 induces resistance against two major pathogens of chili pepper.

This is the first report that paromomycin, an antibiotic derived from Streptomyces sp. AG-P 1441 (AG-P 1441), controlled Phytophthora blight and soft rot diseases caused by Phytophthora capsici and Pectobacterium carotovorum, respectively, in chili pepper (Capsicum annum L.). Chili pepper plants treated with paromomycin by foliar spray or soil drenching 7 days prior to inoculation with P. capsici zoospores showed significant (p < 0.05) reduction in disease severity (%) when compared with untreated control plants. The disease severity of Phytophthora blight was recorded as 8% and 50% for foliar spray and soil drench, respectively, at 1.0 ppm of paromomycin, compared with untreated control, where disease severity was 83% and 100% by foliar spray and soil drench, respectively. A greater reduction of soft rot lesion areas per leaf disk was observed in treated plants using paromomycin (1.0 μg/ml) by infiltration or soil drench in comparison with untreated control plants. Paromomycin treatment did not negatively affect the growth of chili pepper. Furthermore, the treatment slightly promoted growth; this growth was supported by increased chlorophyll content in paromomycin-treated chili pepper plants. Additionally, paromomycin likely induced resistance as confirmed by the expression of pathogenesis-related (PR) genes: PR-1, β-1,3-glucanase, chitinase, PR-4, peroxidase, and PR-10, which enhanced plant defense against P. capsici in chili pepper. This finding indicates that AG-P 1441 plays a role in pathogen resistance upon the activation of defense genes, by secretion of the plant resistance elicitor, paromomycin.