In vitro screening of antagonistic activity of microorganisms against anthracnose disease

Abstract

Anthracnose disease can be successfully controlled by chemical pesticides in conventional fruit growing. However, in organic farming, in order to maintain environmental safety and fulfill consumer demand for pesticide-free food, the control of this disease is a major problem. The use of biocontrol agents with the antagonistic mechanism of control of many phytopathogens is an innovative alternative for cost-effective and eco-friendly production. The antagonistic activities of Trichoderma viride and Bacillus subtilis were tested in vitro against Colletotrichum acutatum, one of major plant pathogens responsible for anthracnose. The microbial antagonists inhibited mycelial growth in the dual culture. T. viride exhibited strong antagonism against C. acutatum isolates (80%). The B. subtilis isolate also had a strong effect on inhibiting the development of C. acutatum (37.5%). The results of this study identified T. viride and B. subtilis as promising biological control agents for further testing against anthracnose disease in fruits.

U konvencionalnoj voćarskoj proizvodnji antraknoza se može uspešno kontrolisati korišćenjem hemijskih pesticida. Međutim, u cilju očuvanja životne sredine i zadovoljavanja rastućih potreba potrošača za zdravstveno bezbednom hranom, kontrola ove bolesti predstavlja jedan od većih problema u organskoj poljoprivrednoj proizvodnji. Upotreba bioloških sredstava koja se odlikuju antagonističkim mehanizmom dejstva protiv velikog broja biljnih patogena predstavlja inovativnu alternativu za ekonomičnu i ekološki prihvatljivu voćarsku proizvodnju. U radu su prikazani rezultati in vitro ispitivanja antagonističkih svojstava sojeva Trichoderma viride i Bacillus subtilis u borbi protiv jednog od najznačajnijih prouzrokovača antraknoze biljaka - Colletotrichum acutatum. Mikrobni antagonisti su inhibirali rast micelija u dualnoj kulturi. T. viride je ispoljila snažan antagonizam u odnosu na izolat C. acutatum (80%). Izolat B. subtilis takođe je imao snažan efekat na inhibiciju razvoja C. acutatum (37,5%). Rezultati ove studije pokazali su da sojevi T. viride i B. subtilis predstavljaju obećavajuće biološke agense pogodne za dalja ispitivanja u borbi protiv antraknoze u plodovima.