article · Microbes and Environments
Researchers screened 77 endophytic actinomycete strains isolated from cabbage to assess their biocontrol capacity against the fungal pathogen Alternaria brassicicola on cabbage seedlings. Among these, strain MBCN152-1 provided the highest level of protection without impairing seedling growth. In greenhouse trials, incorporating spores of MBCN152-1 into soil mix reduced disease incidence and increased the number of viable seedlings following fungal spray inoculation. When tested against damping-off caused by seed-borne Alternaria brassicicola, incorporating the strain at 1.5 times 10 to the power of 7 spores per gram of soil mix completely suppressed the disease. Genetic sequencing identified the organism as a Streptomyces humidus-related species. Microscopic analysis demonstrated that the bacterial hyphae multiplied across seedling surfaces and penetrated epidermal cells. Overall, the strain functions as an effective biological control agent on cabbage plug seedlings.
Fungal pathogens such as Alternaria brassicicola can devastate cabbage crops, causing seedling damping-off and substantial agricultural losses. Identifying natural bacterial endophytes that protect young plants without impairing growth offers an alternative to chemical treatments. This work demonstrates that beneficial soil microbes can colonise plant tissue and completely halt seed-borne fungal infections during the vulnerable seedling stage.
This research represents an applied, greenhouse-tested biological control solution. It could enable the formulation of microbial soil additives or seed treatments to protect brassica crops against fungal damping-off. Agricultural input manufacturers and commercial seedling nurseries are the primary prospective users. While greenhouse efficacy is established, the technology remains at an applied research stage, requiring open-field validation and commercial formulation testing before practical deployment.
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In the present study, 77 strains of endophytic actinomycetes isolated from cabbage were screened in order to assess their biocontrol potential against Alternaria brassicicola on cabbage seedlings. In the first and second screening trials, cabbage seedlings pretreated with mycelial suspensions of each isolate were spray-inoculated with A. brassicicola. Strain MBCN152-1, which exhibited the best protection in screening trials and had no adverse effects on seedling growth, was selected for the greenhouse trial. In the greenhouse trial, cabbage seedlings, which had been grown in plug trays filled with soil mix containing spores of MBCN152-1 (1×10<sup>8</sup> spores g<sup>-1</sup> of soil mix), were spray-inoculated with A. brassicicola and grown in greenhouse conditions. MBCN152-1 reduced disease incidence and significantly increased the number of viable seedlings. The efficacy of MBCN152-1 against damping-off caused by seed-borne A. brassicicola was then evaluated. Cabbage seeds, artificially infested with A. brassicicola, were sown in soil mix containing MBCN152-1 spores. The disease was completely suppressed when infested seeds were sown in a soil mix blended with MBCN152-1 at 1.5×10<sup>7</sup> spores g<sup>-1</sup> of soil mix. These results strongly suggest that MBCN152-1 has the potential to control A. brassicicola on cabbage plug seedlings. MBCN152-1 was identified as a Streptomyces humidus-related species based on 16S rDNA sequencing. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the hyphae of MBCN152-1 multiplied on the surface of the seedlings and penetrated their epidermal cells. In conclusion, strain MBCN152-1 is a promising biocontrol agent against A. brassicicola on cabbage plug seedlings.
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DOI: 10.1264/jsme2.me17014
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