Friendly microbes help rice to grow and suppress its pathogens: Trichoderma and Bacillus Vs Xanthomonas in rice

Abstract

Use of biological control for the management of diseases has gained huge awareness and importance in the present situation of climate change and food residues. Biocontrol agents play interesting role in developing plant health and provide protection against biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, we isolated Trichoderma and Bacillus sp. isolated from soil samples collected from rice fields in Kharif 2019. Profiling based on the pH of the soil, the fungal bioagents were more present in slightly acidic to neutral pH (5.8-7.2) whereas bacterial bioagents in slightly neutral to basic (7.4-8.3). The isolates were screened for their ability to produce phytohormones, cell-wall degrading enzyme and biofilm. Based on biochemical screening two Trichoderma isolates (T6 and T7) and two Bacillus isolates (B1and B5) were subjected to glasshouse studies. Per cent diseased leaf area and lesion length of plants treated with B1 were found to be effective against pathogen. However, the plant growth promotion was more enhanced by T6. Scanning electron microscopy and molecular characterisation along with their phylogenetic analysis proved the identity of isolate B1 as Bacillus subtilis and T6 as Trichoderma atroviride.

Keywords

• Biocontrol
• Rice
• Trichoderma
• Bacillus
• Xanthomonas
• Oryzae pv. oryzae