Vegetable production is an important economic activity and a major source of vitamins, minerals, and income in Ethiopia. However, the production of vegetables is much less developed than the production of food grains in the country. Vegetable production still needs improvement in combating biotic and abiotic threats with innovative technologies. Nowadays, excess use of chemical fertilizers to satisfy the increasing demand for food exerts deadly effects on soil microorganisms and contribute to the deterioration of soil fertility and an increase in atmospheric pollution. Several types of research are still going on to understand the diversity and importance of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and their role in the betterment of vegetable production. PGPR facilitate plant growth directly by either assisting in the acquisition of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and other essential nutrients) or regulation of the levels of hormones. Indirectly PGPR decrease the inhibitory effects of various pathogens on vegetable growth and development in the forms of biocontrol agents. Some of the notable PGPR capable of facilitating the growth of vegetables such as potato, tomato, pepper, onion belong to genera of Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Azotobacter, Enterobacter, and Azospirillum. Hence, to optimize vegetable production with reduced input of mineral fertilizers and pesticides, the use of PGPR in vegetable cultivation is recommended.
Bacterial wilt induced by Ralstonia solanacearum is one of the most damaging and widespread diseases of tomatoes in the world. Biological control with rhizobacteria is one of the efficient components of integrated pest management methods used to control the disease and enhance production. To this end, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (Bacillus isolate BDUA1, and Pseudomonas isolates BBDUA2 and BDUA3) isolated from the tomato rhizosphere were evaluated for their plant growth-promoting traits using standard methods, and selected isolates were also tested for their biocontrol efficacy on tomato bacterial wilt disease under greenhouse conditions. All isolates produced cellulase and lipase, and only BDUA1 and BDUA3 produced protease and amylase. Besides, BDUA1 and BDUA2 showed phosphate solubilization and production of indole-3-acetic acid, HCN, and siderophore, while BDUA3 solubilized phosphate and produced HCN and siderophore. Our results showed that BDUA1 and BDUA2 reduced bacterial wilt incidence on the Maya variety by 51.9% and 48.5%, respectively, and on the Melkesalsa variety by 51.8% and 48.5%, respectively. Treatment of the Melkesalsa variety with BDUA1 displayed the highest height (36.91 cm), followed by treatment with BDUA2 (31.74 cm) on the same variety. BDUA1 induced the highest effect on increasing the dry weight of shoots and roots by 4.16 g and 0.59 g in the Maya variety and in the Melkesalsa variety by 3.63 g and 0.48 g, respectively. Similarly, BDUA2 had the greatest effect on increasing the dry weight of shoots and roots by 3.8 g and 0.54 g of the Maya variety and on the Melkesalsa variety by 3.12 g and 0.41 g, respectively. The overall result showed that BDUA1 and BDUA2 could be used as promising plant growth promotion and biocontrol agents for the management of tomato bacterial wilt disease provided they were validated under field conditions.
Postharvest disease management is vital to increase the quality and productivity of crops. As part of crop disease protection, people used different agrochemicals and agricultural practices to manage postharvest diseases. However, the widespread use of agrochemicals in pest and disease control has detrimental effects on consumer health, the environment, and fruit quality. To date, different approaches are being used to manage postharvest diseases. The use of microorganisms to control postharvest disease is becoming an eco-friendly and environmentally sounds approach. There are many known and reported biocontrol agents, including bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes. Nevertheless, despite the abundance of publications on biocontrol agents, the use of biocontrol in sustainable agriculture requires substantial research, effective adoption, and comprehension of the interactions between plants, pathogens, and the environment. To accomplish this, this review made an effort to locate and summarize earlier publications on the function of microbial biocontrol agents against postharvest crop diseases. Additionally, this review aims to investigate biocontrol mechanisms, their modes of operation, potential future applications for bioagents, as well as difficulties encountered during the commercialization process.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.