Evaluating Native <i>Bacillus</i> Strains as Potential Biocontrol Agents against Tea Anthracnose Caused by <i>Colletotrichum fructicola</i>
Meixia Chen,
Hui Lin,
Weifan Zu,
Lulu Wang,
Wenbo Dai,
Yulin Xiao,
Ye Zou,
Chengkang Zhang,
Wei Liu,
Xiaoping Niu
Affiliations
Meixia Chen
College of Biological Science and Engineering, Industry and University Research Cooperation Demonstration Base in Fujian Province, Ningde Normal University, Ningde 352100, China
Hui Lin
College of Biological Science and Engineering, Industry and University Research Cooperation Demonstration Base in Fujian Province, Ningde Normal University, Ningde 352100, China
Weifan Zu
College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Lulu Wang
College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Wenbo Dai
College of Biological Science and Engineering, Industry and University Research Cooperation Demonstration Base in Fujian Province, Ningde Normal University, Ningde 352100, China
Yulin Xiao
College of Biological Science and Engineering, Industry and University Research Cooperation Demonstration Base in Fujian Province, Ningde Normal University, Ningde 352100, China
Ye Zou
College of Biological Science and Engineering, Industry and University Research Cooperation Demonstration Base in Fujian Province, Ningde Normal University, Ningde 352100, China
Chengkang Zhang
College of Biological Science and Engineering, Industry and University Research Cooperation Demonstration Base in Fujian Province, Ningde Normal University, Ningde 352100, China
Wei Liu
College of Biological Science and Engineering, Industry and University Research Cooperation Demonstration Base in Fujian Province, Ningde Normal University, Ningde 352100, China
Xiaoping Niu
College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Anthracnose of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis), caused by Colletotrichum spp., poses a significant threat to both the yield and quality of tea production. To address this challenge, researchers have looked to the application of endophytic bacteria as a natural alternative to the use chemical pesticides, offering potential for enhancing disease resistance and abiotic stress tolerance in tea plants. This study focused on identifying effective microbial agents to combat tea anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum fructicola. A total of 38 Bacillus-like strains were isolated from the tea rhizosphere, with 8 isolates showing substantial inhibitory effects against the mycelial growth of C. fructicola, achieving an average inhibition rate of 60.68%. Among these, strain T3 was particularly effective, with a 69.86% inhibition rate. Through morphological, physiological, and biochemical characterization, along with 16S rRNA gene phylogenetics analysis, these strains were identified as B. inaquosorum (T1 and T2), B. tequilensis (T3, T5, T7, T8, and T19), and B. spizizenii (T6). Biological and molecular assays confirmed that these strains could induce the expression of genes associated with antimicrobial compounds like iturin, fengycin, subtilosin, and alkaline protease, which effectively reduced the disease index of tea anthracnose and enhanced tea plant growth. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that B. inaquosorum, B. tequilensis, and B. spizizenii strains are promising biocontrol agents for managing tea anthracnose.
