In the present work 25 strains of Paenibacillus polymyxa isolated from rotted ginseng roots were screened for their antimicrobial activity against Phytophthora capsici in vitro. Based on antimicrobial activity, 15 strains categorized as strongly antimicrobial, among them GBR‐462 was found as the most active, and five strains each as weekly antimicrobial and no antimicrobial. Antimicrobial activity was influenced by the initial inoculum density, as strains of P. polymyxa with a strong antimicrobial activity (including P. polymyxa GBR‐462) showed the antimicrobial activity against P. capsici and could form biofilm only when they were applied at the higher initial inoculums, 108 cfu/ml. No inhibitory effect was noted on the mycelial growth and zoospore germination of the pathogen when applied at the lower inoculum density of 106 cfu/ml of P. polymyxa GBR‐462. However, sporangium formation and zoospore release was significantly inhibited at the lower inoculum density. Also light and electron microscopy revealed the structures of sporangia aberrant with no or few healthy nuclei, indicating sporangium and zoospore formation inhibited at the lower inoculum density. Application of P. polymyxa GBR‐462 into potted soil suppressed disease progression as well as disease severity; disease severity was reduced by 30% as compared to untreated pots, suggesting P. polymyxa GBR‐462 could be a potential biocontrol agent against Phytopthora capsici.

Two similar microbial fungicides (termed as MA and MB) developed in a Korean biopesticide company were analyzed and compared each other in their biocontrol activities against the phytophthora blight of chili pepper caused by Phytophthora capsici. MA and MB contained the microbe Paenibacillus polymyxa and Bacillus subtilis, respectively, with concentrations over those posted on the microbial products. In comparison of the isolated microbes (termed as MAP from MA and MBB from MB) in the antagonistic activities against P. capsici was effective, prominently against zoospore germination, while MBB only significantly inhibited the mycelia growth of the pathogen. Some effectiveness of MAP and MBB was noted in the inhibition of zoosporangium formation and zoospore release from zoosporangia; however, no such large difference between MAP and MBB was noted. In a pot experiment, MA reduced the severity of the phytophthora blight more than MB, suggesting that the disease control efficacy would be more attributable to the inhibition of zoospore germination than mycelia growth of P. capsici. These results also suggest that the similar microbes MA and MB targeting different points in the life cycle of the pathogen differ in the disease control efficacies. Therefore, to develop microbial fungicides it is required to examine the targeting points in the pathogen's life cycle as well as the action mode of antagonistic microorganisms.