Role of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria

in Biocontrol of Plant Diseases and Sustainable

Agriculture
• 1 Introduction
2 Mechanisms of Disease Suppression
3 Interactions of PGPR with Pathogens
3.1 Antibiotic Production
3.2 Enzyme Production
3.3 Siderophores Production
4 Interactions of PGPR with Plants
4.1 Induced Resistance
4.2 Root Colonization
5 Interactions of PGPR in the Rhizosphere
5.1 Interactions with the Microbial Community
5.2 Interactions of PGPR Strains
6 A Practical Control System Using PGPR
Streptomyces avermitilis
 1 Introduction
• PGPR: a major role in the biocontrol of plant pathogens
• PGPR enhance : seedling emergence, colonize roots, and
stimulate overall plant growth.
• PGPR also improve seed germination, root development,
mineral nutrition and water uptake/utilization
• Disease suppression is interactions among the plant, the
pathogen, the biocontrol agent, the microbial community
on and around the plant, and the physical environment
• PGPR are free-living bacteria

Bean Time-Lapse
 1 Introduction
• Biocontrol is complex because diseases mostly
occur in the dynamic environment at the
interface of the plant root as well as in the
aerial parts of plants
2 Mechanisms of Disease Suppression
• Different ways:
• Directly: by fixing atmospheric nitrogen,
synthesizing several plant hormones and
enzymes, and solubilizing minerals that can
modulate plant hormone levels
• The indirect by producing siderophores that
limit the available iron to the pathogen,
producing antibiotics that kill the pathogen,
antibiosis, and inducing systemic resistance in
plant
• PGPR has been
successfully used for the biocontrol of
nematode, fungal, bacterial, and viral
diseases of plants
vermicompost_and_pythium_suppression
3 Interactions of PGPR with Pathogens

• During PGPR produce antibiotics, cell wall

degrading enzymes, siderophore, etc.
3.1 Antibiotic Production
 3.1 Antibiotic Production
• amphisin, butyrolactones, 2,4
diacetylphloroglucinol(DAPG), cyclic
lipopeptide, HCN, kanosamine, oligomycin A,
oomycin A, phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA),
pyoluterin (Plt), pyrrolnitrin (Pln), tensin,
tropolone,viscosinamide, xanthobaccin, and
zwittermycin A
 3.1 Antibiotic Production
• PCA from Pseudomonas aureofaciens has
even been used as a direct field treatment for
the control of Sclerotinia homeocarpa on
creeping bent grass
 3.2 Enzyme Production
• Biocontrol of Phytophthora cinnamomi causing root rot of
Banksia grandis was obtained using a cellulase-producing
isolate of Micromonospora carbonacea
• Phytophthora fragariae var. rubi causing raspberry root rot
that was suppressed by the application of actinomycete
isolates selected for the production of b-1,3-, b -1,4-, and b
-1,6-glucanases
• Chitinolytic enzymes produced by both Bacillus cereus and
Pantoea (Enterobacter) agglomerans also appear to be
involved in the biocontrol of Rhizoctonia solani
 3.3 Siderophores Production
• Iron is an important micronutrient, for
metabolism. In the soil, ferric iron (FeIII),
which predominates in nature, is only
sparingly soluble and too low in concentration
to support microbial growth
 3.3 Siderophores Production
• To survive, soil microorganisms synthesize and
secrete low-molecular weight iron-binding
compounds (400–1,000 daltons) known as
siderophores.
• The bacterium that synthesized the siderophores
takes up by using a receptor in the outer cell
membrane of the bacterium
3.3 Siderophores Production
• PGPR can prevent the proliferation of
pathogens by producing siderophores that
bind most of the Fe(III) in the area around the
plant root.
 3.3 Siderophores Production
• Microbial siderophores contain hydroxamate and catechol
groups
• Siderophore producing Pseudomonads strains significantly
reduced the root-rot disease in chickpea
• Catechol siderophore in Serratia marcescens 90–166
associated with induced resistance in cucumber against
anthracnose
• Specific siderophore producing Pseudomonas strains
rapidly colonized roots of several crops and increased yield
• Iron nutrition of the plant
influences the rhizosphere
microbial community
structure
• Different environmental
factors can also influence
the quantity of
siderophores
produced
 4 Interactions of PGPR with Plants

• Inducing morphological changes in the plant,

generates accumulation of phenolics and
increases the levels of enzymes
 4.1 Induced Resistance

• PGPR strains trigger a plant-mediated resistance in

above ground plant parts as ISR
• Since rhizobacteria were spatially separated from
pathogens, the mode of disease suppression in the
plants is through ISR.
• Several bacterial are involved including outer
membrane lipopolysaccharides and iron regulated
siderophores
 4.2 Root Colonization

• PGPR improves plant growth by colonizing the root system

• Colonization is believed to be essential for biocontrol
• The ineffectiveness of PGPR in the field has often been to their
inability to colonize plant roots
 4.2 Root Colonization
• prototrophy for amino acids and vitamin B1,
rapid growth rate, utilization of organic acids
and lipopolysaccharide properties contribute
to colonization
 5 Interactions of PGPR in the Rhizosphere
• Soil being a sink of microorganisms, the ability
of PGPR strain to interact with microbial
community and pathogen microbes
 5.1 Interactions with the Microbial Community

• Many biocontrol agents suppress disease

effectively in the laboratory but fail to do so
in the field
• This may include the application of organic
manures and plant straw
 5.2 Interactions of PGPR Strains
• Mixtures of biocontrol agents with different
plant colonization patterns useful for the
biocontrol of different plant pathogens via
different mechanisms of disease suppression
• The greater suppression and enhanced
consistency against multiple cucumber pathogens
was observed using strain mixtures of PGPR
 5.2 Interactions of PGPR Strains
• Multiple organisms may enhance biocontrol
by a more stable rhizosphere community and
effectiveness. Combination of fungi and
bacteria may provide protection at different
times, under different conditions, and occupy
different or complementary niches
 6 A Practical Control System Using PGPR
• The ability to colonize roots and resistance against antibiotics are
other parameters necessary to screen the effective strains
• Screening of biocontrol agents by a seedling bioassay chamber is
required to determine the compatibility of an antagonist with the
microflora of a field soil
• Selection of field-effective strains can also be facilitated by a
greenhouse assay
• The important in the development of the assays are the inoculum
potential of the pathogen, environmental conditions, and dose of
the bacterium
• Many factors such as temperature, soil moisture, and soil texture
influence the survival and establishment of bacteria. Formulation
and application methods are often of paramount importance in
effecting biocontrol
• Colonization of root by PGPR is also important to
increase their potential as biocontrol agents.
Studies on the physical and chemical of soil,
which affect root colonization, are needed.
• The application of organic amendments with
effective strains of PGPR is recommended
because organic materials encourage the growth
of organisms that compete with or destroy
pathogens