Biocontrol of Red Pepper Using Mixed Culture of Antagonistic Bacterium and Phosphate Solubilizing Yeast

Abstract

This study was to investigate beneficial effects of microbial mixture on red pepper which was capable of promoting plant growth by solubilizing insoluble phosphate as well as protecting plants from pathogenic attack. Saccharomyces sp. L13 was isolated for phosphate solubilizing activity on aluminium phosphate, tricalcium phosphate, calcium hydrophosphate, and magnesium hydrophosphate. On the other hand, Bacillus sp. L32 was isolated for antagonistic activity against Phytophthora capsisi and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, causing Phytophthora blight and Anthracnose disease in pepper, respectively. The strain L32 exhibited antagonistic activities both under dual culture assays and detached leaves assays. The each strain under the condition of mixed cultivation exhibited the same growth rates as one under pure cultivation. In greenhouse study, the mixed culture showed the both effect of plant growth promotion and reduction of disease symptom development against P. capsisi and C. gloeosporioides providing a potential as effective microbial agent for plant husbandry.