Evaluation of biocontrol Bacillus species on plant growth promotion and systemic-induced resistant potential against bacterial and fungal wilt-causing pathogens.

Bacillus spp. have a wide range of activities in the biocontrol potential against various phytopathogens. This study focuses on the biocontrol potential of two species belonging to the same genera, as Bacillus subtilis (SSR2I) and Bacillus flexus (AIKDL) have contrasting activity under in vivo and in vitro conditions. In this study, two medicinal plants-associated bacteria showing antagonistic activity against wilt-causing pathogens were selected and identified as B. subtilis (SSR2I) and B. flexus (AIKDL) based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Crude extracts of these bacteria showed that chloroform extracts of AIKDL, and ethyl acetate extraction of SSR2I showed effective potential inhibition of both the wilt-causing pathogens in the well-diffusion method. PCR-based detection of antimicrobial peptide genes revealed the presence of five genes in B. subtilis and none in B. flexus. On the basis of in vivo analysis, the isolate SSR2I showed reduced disease incidence and enhanced biocontrol efficiency against Ralstonia solanacearum and Fusarium oxysporum compared with AIKDL and control plants. Further, the isolates SSR2I also enhanced the induced systemic resistance (ISR) against both the pathogens compared to the control. However, the isolate AIKDL showed enhanced ISR against F. oxysporum-treated plants, but not against R. solanacearum-treated plants. The results indicated that even though the isolates had strong antagonistic potential under in vitro conditions, their biocontrol efficiency differed in in vivo condition. On the basis of the overall performance, the isolate SSR2I could be formulated as biocontrol agents against both the wilt-causing pathogens tested in this study.