Selection of bacterial isolates with fungal inhibition against alfalfa phytopathogens to constitute a bacterial consortium

Alfalfa breeding programs require environmentally friendly alternatives to improve plant growth and health. Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) and endophytic bacteria offer a biological solution as they can inhibitphytopathogenic fungi by producing antifungal compounds or enzymes. In Argent...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Moreno, María Valeria, Arolfo, Valeria, López, José Luis, Erdozain, Sofía Agostina, Bigatton, Ezequiel Darío, Ayoub, Ibrahim, Lucini, Enrique Iván, Lagares, Antonio, Odorizzi, Ariel
Format: Online
Language:eng
Published: Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias 2024
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Online Access:https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/agris/article/view/41895
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Summary:Alfalfa breeding programs require environmentally friendly alternatives to improve plant growth and health. Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) and endophytic bacteria offer a biological solution as they can inhibitphytopathogenic fungi by producing antifungal compounds or enzymes. In Argentina, alfalfa is primarily affected by Colletotrichum trifolii (Ct) and Phytophthora megasperma (Pm). The objectives of this study were to select bacterial isolates with antifungal inhibition against Ct and Pm and identify a biocontroller isolate compatible with the rhizobia INTA5 has and with low-N2O emissions, to constitute an eco-friendly bacterial consortium. Ten isolates demonstrated antifungal inhibition, with mean Inhibition Percentage (IP) values between 41.74-91.28 for Ct and 56.23-77.59 for Pm compared to the control. Among these isolates, B2, B4, SC6, and MN1 showed the highest inhibition performance and were selected to evaluate their compatibility with INTA5. Only B4 exhibited compatibility, which was further evaluated against Ct in an experiment with alfalfa seedlings under controlled conditions. The alfalfaseedlings treated with B4 increased the plant survival number against Ct. The availability of a bacterial consortium that promotes biocontrol and biological nitrogen fixation represents the preferred strategy for alfalfa breeding programs.