Document Type
Article
Publication Date
9-1-2013
Abstract
A total of 130 actinomycetes was isolated from rhizospheres of healthy and diseased (Colletotrichum-infected) chilli plants and tested for their inhibitory activity against Colletotrichum acutatum, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Colletotrichum truncatum. Twenty-six isolates were active against at least one of the Colletotrichum species and 12 were active against all three anthracnose fungi. Four bioactive isolates, P8, P39, P42 and P115, that exerted high inhibitory activity against all three anthracnose fungi species, were identified using molecular methods. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that all four isolates belonged to the genus Streptomyces. Strain P42, which showed the highest inhibitory activity, was further tested as biological control agent in a greenhouse study. This strain successfully controlled chilli anthracnose disease by significantly reducing the disease severity. The results of the current study not only revealed that rhizosphere of Colletotrichum-infected chilli plants contained more bioactive streptomycete which are bioactive against Colletotrichum spp. than rhizosphere of healthy chilli plants, but also demonstrated the efficacy of biological control through soil suppression.
Keywords
Anthracnose disease, chilli pepper, Colletotrichum, inhibitory activity, Streptomyces
Divisions
InstituteofBiologicalSciences
Funders
University of Malaya grant PS284-2009C,The Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia (HIR and FRGS FP007-2009 Grants)
Publication Title
Reearch on Crops
Volume
14
Issue
3
Publisher
Gaurav Society of ARIC, Hisar, India