English
Isolation of Antagonistic Bacteria for Biological Control of Fusarium Head Blight in Wheat and Barley
Ja Yeong Jang, Bo-Eun Kim, So-Soo Kim, Ji-Seon Back, and Hyo-Won Choi*
Plant Disease Control, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration, Wanju, Republic of Korea
Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the most destructive diseases of cereal crops worldwide, leading to significant yield losses and mycotoxin contamination. Growing concerns regarding fungicide resistance and environmental safety have increased the need for environmentally friendly biological control strategies. This study was conducted to isolate indigenous antagonistic bacteria from rice plants and evaluate their potential as a biological control agent against FHB pathogens. Bacterial isolates obtained from rice tissues were screened for antifungal activity using a dual culture method against Fusarium graminearum and F. asiaticum. Among the isolates, two strains exhibiting strong antagonistic activity were selected and further evaluated. Molecular identification revealed that the selected strains were Bacillus velezensis and Paenibacillus jamilae. Both strains markedly inhibited mycelial growth of FHB pathogens. Additionally, they showed consistent antagonistic activity against five other plant pathogenic fungi, including Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Phytophthora capsici, Colletotrichum scovillei, Stemphylium lycopersici, demonstrating broad-spectrum antifungal potential. These results indicate that rice-derived indigenous antagonistic bacteria possess strong potential as biological control agents for managing Fusarium head blight. Further studies focusing on field application and elucidation of antifungal mechanisms will facilitate the development of effective microbial biopesticides for sustainable cereal disease management.
Keywords: Fusarium head blight, Biological control, antagonistic bacteria, Bacillus velezensis, Paenibacillus jamilae.
