BioControl (2009) 54, 103-111

Paola Pereira, Andrea Nesci and Miriam Graciela Etcheverry (2009)
Efficacy of bacterial seed treatments for the control of Fusarium verticillioides in maize
BioControl 54 (1), 103-111
Abstract: Maize colonization by the phytopathogenic fungi Fusarium verticillioides leads to economical and food quality losses and also implicates potential health risks. In order to control this fungal species different strategies are being considered. In the present work we investigated the in situ effects of the use of two in vitro proven bacterial biological control agents against Fusarium verticillioides, using maize seedlings grown in greenhouse conditions. The treatment of maize seeds with Fusarium verticillioides 10⁷ spores ml⁻¹ negatively affected the length of the stem and the weight of the root systems of resultant seedlings, and also reduced the numbers of non-rhizospheric organisms with ammonification and nitrification activities. The addition of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens or Microbacterium oleovorans, at a concentration of 10⁹ colony forming units ml⁻¹, to the seeds significantly reduced Fusarium verticillioides count at the root inner tissues of resultant seedlings. When testing the impact of bacterial treatments on soil populations, no alterations with respect to control numbers of organisms with nitrification, ammonification or cellulolytic potentials were observed. Culturable bacterial richness and diversity calculated at the rhizoplane and root inner tissues of maize seedlings neither changed in bacterized treatments when compared to control treatment. Our study showed that the Fusarium verticillioides in vitro proven antagonists, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Microbacterium oleovorans (at 10⁹ colony forming units ml⁻¹), were also effective at greenhouse conditions without causing major changes in culturable rhizospheric and endophytic microbial richness and diversity.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Miriam G. Etcheverry

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
evaluation - screening - selection
application technology

---

Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Fusarium fujikuroi	Maize/corn (Zea mays)
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (antagonist)	Fusarium fujikuroi	Maize/corn (Zea mays)
Microbacterium oleivorans (antagonist)	Fusarium fujikuroi	Maize/corn (Zea mays)