Lysobacter enzymogenes strain C3 suppresses mycelium growth and spore germination of eight soybean fungal and oomycete pathogens and decreases disease incidences

Jaina Nian, Menghao Yu, Carl A. Bradley, Youfu Zhao

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

Fungal and oomycete diseases can cause severe yield losses on soybean. Lysobacter enzymogenes strain C3 (LeC3) has been reported to be an effective biological control agent (BCA) against various plant pathogens. In the current study, we used a dual culture assay to test antagonism between LeC3 and eight fungal and oomycete pathogens of soybean, including Macrophomina phaseolina (causal agent of charcoal rot), Phytophthora sojae (causal agent of Phytophthora stem and root rot), Pythium spp. (causal agent of seedling blight), Rhizoctonia solani (causal agent of Rhizoctonia root rot), Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (causal agent of Sclerotinia stem rot), Cercospora sojina (causal agent of frogeye leaf spot), Fusarium virguliforme (causal agent of sudden death syndrome), and Septoria glycines (causal agent of Septoria brown spot). Our findings revealed that LeC3 was effective in suppressing mycelial growth or spore germination of all the soybean pathogens tested, which was bacterial dose- and medium nutrient-dependent. Microscopic examination indicated that LeC3 probably works by degrading cell structures. In greenhouse conditions, we observed that application of LeC3 by soil drench or seed treatment led to 16% to 27% increased biomass in co-inoculated plants as compared with F. virguliforme and R. solani-infected plants alone. In addition, spray application of LeC3 at 107, 108, and 109 CFU/ml reduced lesions caused by S. sclerotiorum by 24, 38 and 86%, respectively. As a conclusion, these results suggest that LeC3 is a potential biological control agent with broad-spectrum antagonistic activities against fungal and oomycete pathogens of soybean.

Original languageEnglish
Article number104424
JournalBiological Control
Volume152
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by the North Central Soybean Research Program (NCSRP) (CAB and YFZ). We would also like to thank Dr. Gary Yuen of the University of Nebraska for providing the LeC3 strain.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier Inc.

Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

Keywords

  • Biological control
  • Fungus
  • Lysobacter enzymogenes
  • Oomycete
  • Soybean disease

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Agronomy and Crop Science
  • Insect Science

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