Plant growth promoting traits of some endophytic Pseudomonas and Bacillus spp. and their potential for preventing soft rot caused by Erwinia persicina in lettuce
Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca, cilt.54, sa.2, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 54 Sayı: 2
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.15835/nbha54215236
- Dergi Adı: Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, CAB Abstracts, Directory of Open Access Journals, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), East & Central Europe Database (ProQuest), Natural Science Collection (ProQuest), Biological Science Database (ProQuest)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: bacterial endophytes, biological management, Erwinia persicina, lettuce, plant growth promoting traits
- Ankara Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Erwinia persicina, the causal agent of lettuce soft rot, has recently emerged as an important bacterial pathogen, and information on its biological control remains limited. In this study, the biocontrol potential of endophytic Pseudomonas and Bacillus species isolated from lettuce was evaluated as an alternative disease management strategy. Thirty endophytic bacterial isolates were screened in vitro for antagonistic activity against E. persicina isolate Ep_Tr2, and six isolates showing inhibition zone were selected for further characterization. The selected strains, including Bacillus mojavensis Bmj1, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Ba7, and Pseudomonas putida Lt68, were assessed for plant growth-promoting traits, including indole-3-acetic acid production, ammonia production, and proteolytic activity. Among these isolates, Lt68 was among the highest ammonia-producing strains and showed intermediate indole-3-acetic acid production, whereas proteolytic activity was detected in all selected isolates without significant differences among them. Promising strains were evaluated in vivo under greenhouse conditions using foliar and root applications performed 24–72 h before or simultaneously with pathogen inoculation. Disease severity was assessed 14 days after inoculation using a 0–4 symptom scale and analysed by two-way ANOVA. Foliar application of Bacillus mojavensis Bmj1 and Pseudomonas putida Lt68 24 h prior to pathogen inoculation significantly reduced symptom development, while Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Ba7 showed delayed efficacy at 48 and 72 h. Root applications did not result in significant disease suppression. These findings demonstrate the potential of endophytic bacteria for the biological control of Erwinia persicina in lettuce and highlight the importance of application timing and method for effective disease management.