Assessment of antagonistic and plant growth promoting activities of tomato endophytic bacteria in challenging with Verticillium dahliae under in-vitro and in- vivo conditions

In recent years, there has been a considerable interest in the use of biological approaches, as an alternative to chemical fertilizers and pesticides to management of plant pathogens and improvement of crop productivity. Recently, endophytic bacteria have gained attention due to their efficient bio-control and plant growth promoting potentials. The objective of this study was to evaluate bio control and plant growth promoting ability of endophytic bacteria in challenging with Verticillium dahliae under in-vitro and greenhouse conditions. Endophytic bacteria were isolated from tomato plants and their bio-control activity was screened based on dual culture method. Antifungal and their plant growth promoting traits such as production of volatile compounds, antibiotics, proteases, chitinases, hydrogen cyanide, siderophore, indole acetic acid and phosphate solubilizing were evaluated. Their effects on seed germination and growth parameters of seedlings under in-vitro condition and on the control of disease and tomato growth were evaluated in greenhouse. In dual culture tests, FS67, FS167, FS300 and FS339 isolates showed significant antifungal activity and they were identified as Pseudomonas mosselli, P. fuorescence, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, respectively. All strains produced several kinds of antifungal and growth promoting agents under in-vitro conditions. They increased seed germination and growth parameters of seedlings. They also reduced the disease and improved the growth parameters of the plants in challenging with V. dahliae in greenhouse. Discussion and conclusion: The present study has shown that these endophytic bacteria have the bio-control and bio-fertilizer potentials, which make them suitable candidates as an alternative tool of chemicals in management of V. dahliae. Results indicated they might enhance tomato plant growth and health via various mechanisms and most of them probably employ more than one of these mechanisms.