Healthy Photosynthetic Mechanism Suggests ISR Elicited by <i>Bacillus</i> spp. in <i>Capsicum chinense</i> Plants Infected with PepGMV
Blancka Yesenia Samaniego-Gámez,
René Garruña,
José M. Tun-Suárez,
Oscar A. Moreno-Valenzuela,
Arturo Reyes-Ramírez,
Raúl Enrique Valle-Gough,
Carlos Enrique Ail-Catzim,
Lydia Toscano-Palomar
Affiliations
Blancka Yesenia Samaniego-Gámez
Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Autonomous University of Baja California, Carretera Blvd, Delta s/n Ejido Nuevo León, Valle de Mexicali, Baja California C.P. 21705, Mexico
René Garruña
CONACYT—Technological Institute of Conkal, Av. Tecnológico s/n, Conkal, Yucatán C.P. 97345, Mexico
José M. Tun-Suárez
National Technological Institute of Mexico—Technological Institute of Conkal, Av. Tecnológico s/n, Conkal, Yucatán C.P. 97345, Mexico
Oscar A. Moreno-Valenzuela
Scientific Research Center of Yucatan A.C., Department of Plant Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Calle 43 No. 130, Colonia Chuburná de Hidalgo, Mérida, Yucatán C.P. 97200, Mexico
Arturo Reyes-Ramírez
National Technological Institute of Mexico—Technological Institute of Conkal, Av. Tecnológico s/n, Conkal, Yucatán C.P. 97345, Mexico
Raúl Enrique Valle-Gough
Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Autonomous University of Baja California, Carretera Blvd, Delta s/n Ejido Nuevo León, Valle de Mexicali, Baja California C.P. 21705, Mexico
Carlos Enrique Ail-Catzim
Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Autonomous University of Baja California, Carretera Blvd, Delta s/n Ejido Nuevo León, Valle de Mexicali, Baja California C.P. 21705, Mexico
Lydia Toscano-Palomar
National Technological Institute of Mexico—Technological Institute of Mexicali, Av. Instituto Tecnológico s/n, Plutarco Elías Calles, Mexicali, Baja California C.P. 21376, Mexico
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of inoculation with Bacillus spp. isolates on the photosynthetic apparatus of Capsicum chinense plants infected with PepGMV. In vitro and greenhouse experiments were performed to evaluate whether the inoculation improved plants’ performance through the increase in photosynthetic efficiency to control PepGMV. The results showed that despite PepGMV infection, the plants inoculated with some isolates of Bacillus spp. had a healthy photosynthetic mechanism, as the photochemical parameters and gas exchange increased. The maximum photochemical quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm) of plants with PepGMV and inoculated with Bacillus isolates (M9, K46, and K47) increased (7.85, 7.09, and 7.77%, respectively) with respect to uninoculated controls. In inoculated plants, the CO2 assimilation rate increased and the transpiration rate decreased, therefore indicating an increased water use efficiency. This effect was reflected by the less severe symptoms caused by PepGMV in the plants obtained from seeds inoculated with different Bacillus spp. Plants inoculated with K47 isolates showed an increase in fruit yield and quality. This study suggests that it is possible to protect, at the greenhouse level, C. chinense plants from PepGMV through selected rhizobacteria inoculation.
