article · Life
Soil-borne fungal pathogens, specifically Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. capsici, cause destructive root rot and wilt diseases in pepper plants. Research evaluated the biocontrol potential of beneficial microorganisms taken from the rhizosphere of healthy pepper plants. Laboratory tests showed that Paenibacillus polymyxa and Trichoderma longibrachiatum reduced the radial growth of these pathogens, causing cell lysis and structural abnormalities. When applied to pepper plants, these isolates, along with specific plant growth-promoting fungal isolates including Fusarium equiseti and Phoma species, significantly lowered disease incidence and severity compared to untreated controls. In addition to suppressing fungal infection, the microbial treatments improved pepper plant growth. Analysis confirmed that the treatments enhanced the expression of the defence-related gene CaPR4, indicating that the beneficial microbes trigger systemic resistance against fungal attacks in pepper plants.
Root rot and wilt cause substantial damage to pepper crops, reducing yields and threatening farm productivity. By identifying beneficial soil bacteria and fungi that naturally suppress these diseases, this work demonstrates how biological agents can protect crops. These microorganisms not only reduce fungal damage and stimulate plant defence mechanisms, but also boost plant growth, offering a potential foundation for sustainable crop protection strategies.
This work demonstrates potential biological control agents and plant growth-promoting inoculants for agricultural input manufacturers and pepper growers. The isolates could form the basis of biofungicide or biofertiliser products designed to suppress fungal wilt and root rot. Because the research demonstrates efficacy in laboratory cultures and experimental plant trials, it represents early-stage to applied research that would require field testing, formulation, and regulatory approval before commercial use.
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Pepper is vulnerable to soil-borne fungal pathogens such as <i>Rhizoctonia solani</i> and <i>Fusarium oxysporum</i>. The potential of beneficial rhizosphere microorganisms to control <i>R. solani</i> and <i>F. oxysporum</i> f.sp. <i>capsici</i> was evaluated in pepper plants. <i>Paenibacillus polymyxa</i> and <i>Trichoderma longibrachiatum</i> were isolated from rhizospheric soil samples of healthy pepper plants. In vitro, both isolates caused clear reductions in the radial growth of root rot and wilt pathogens. Scanning electron microscopy displayed lysis and abnormal shape of the pathogens in dual cultures with <i>P. polymyxa</i> and <i>T. longibrachiatum</i>. The incidence and severity of root rot and wilt diseases were significantly reduced in pepper plants treated with the growth-promoting fungi (PGPF isolates; <i>Fusarium equiseti</i> GF19-1, <i>Fusarium equiseti</i> GF18-3, and <i>Phoma</i> sp. GS8-3), <i>P. polymyxa</i>, or <i>T. longibrachiatum</i> in comparison to the control. Moreover, the induction treatments led to increased pepper growth compared with their control. The defense related gene (<i>CaPR4</i>) expression was shown to be significantly higher in the treated plants than in the control plants. In conclusion, the antagonistic isolates (<i>P. polymyxa</i> and <i>T. longibrachiatum</i>) and PGPF isolates have a clear impact on the prevention of root rot and wilt diseases in pepper plants incited by <i>R. solani</i> and <i>F. oxysporum</i> f.sp. <i>capsici.</i> The expression of the <i>CaPR4</i> gene added to the evidence that PGPF isolates generate systemic resistance to pathogen infections.
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DOI: 10.3390/life12040587
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