Modern agriculture relies on substantial quantities of chemical fertilizers. Overfertilization may often lead to disbalance in beneficial crop microbiome and this increased susceptibility to plant diseases, especially in case of monoculture crop systems.
It was demonstrated that certain Bacillus species show the efficiency in suppresing plant pathogens by:
Antibiosis - synthesis of secondary metabolities for inhibition of plant pathogens
Competition - microorganisms in plant rhizosphere compete with pathogens for niches and nutrients
Induced systematic resistance (ISR) - Bacillus stimulates ISR. This improves the plant’s resistance against pathogenic bacteria, fungi and viruses.
Reshaping of the soil microbiome - Bacillus regulate rhizosphere microbiome to raise plant disease suppression and antifungal activity.
Bacillus genera contain a range of species that are are natural plant allies, helping to improve their natural resistance and promote crop field performence by:
DIRECT EFFECTS - siderophore production, nitrogen fixation, phytohormone production and nutrient solubilization,
INIDRECT EFFECTS - production of exopolysaccharides (EPS), biofilm formation, and release of lytic enzymes.
The practical application of Bacillus in agricultural fields is usually challenging due to varying environmental conditions. To improve biocontrol efficiency specific measures can be introduced by:
development biofertilizers and biostimulants based on specific Bacillus inocula,
use of antagonistic metabolities instead of/mixed with biocontrol agents,
novel formulas acting as combination of specific bacterial isolates and chemical agents.
Source: Zhang et al. 2023; DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14348
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