Biocontrol of Rhizoctonia solani in native potato (Solanum phureja) plants using native Pseudomonas fluorescens

Abstract

Rhizoctonia solani is a soil borne phytopathogen associated with reduced plant vigor and tuber production in potato crops. There is a huge interest to search alternatives of biological control management of this disease, because the potato crops in Colombia are the highest consumers of chemical pesticides in Colombia. In order to obtain a fluorescent Pseudomonas strain with the capacity to reduce the disease symptoms produced by R. solani, determination and isolation of the predominant fluorescent Pseudomonas in several potato crops of the main Colombian producing region was done in a previous study. Six different P. fluorescens strains with none, moderate and high fungal growth inhibition capacity in vitro, were used in this study. Despite of the differences found in the dynamics of colonization and colonization capacity, all evaluated strains induced S. phureja growth and reduced disease symptoms produced by R. solani. Our results support the conclusion that association of P. fluorescens strains with S. phureja rhizosphere is a feasible alternative for the management of R. solani symptoms.

Keywords

• Rizobacterias
• Rhizoctonia Solani
• Fluorescent Pseudomonas
• Solanum Phureja
• Antagonismo