Biocontrol and plant growth promoting activities of a Streptomyces corchorusii strain UCR3-16 and preparation of powder formulation for application as biofertilizer agents for rice plant

The Roles of Plant-Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR)-Based Biostimulants for Agricultural Production Systems

The application of biostimulants has been proven to be an advantageous tool and an appropriate form of management towards the effective use of natural resources, food security, and the beneficial effects on plant growth and yield. Plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are microbes connected with plant roots that can increase plant growth by different methods such as producing plant hormones and molecules to improve plant growth or providing increased mineral nutrition. They can colonize all ecological niches of roots to all stages of crop development, and they can affect plant growth and development directly by modulating plant hormone levels and enhancing nutrient acquisition such as of potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen, and essential minerals, or indirectly via reducing the inhibitory impacts of different pathogens in the forms of biocontrol parameters. Many plant-associated species such as Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Streptomyces, Serratia, Arthrobacter, and Rhodococcus can increase plant growth by improving plant disease resistance, synthesizing growth-stimulating plant hormones, and suppressing pathogenic microorganisms. The application of biostimulants is both an environmentally friendly practice and a promising method that can enhance the sustainability of horticultural and agricultural production systems as well as promote the quantity and quality of foods. They can also reduce the global dependence on hazardous agricultural chemicals. Science Direct, Google Scholar, Springer Link, CAB Direct, Scopus, Springer Link, Taylor and Francis, Web of Science, and Wiley Online Library were checked, and the search was conducted on all manuscript sections in accordance with the terms Acinetobacter, Arthrobacter, Enterobacter, Ochrobactrum, Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, Serratia, Streptomyces, Biostimulants, Plant growth promoting rhizobactera, and Stenotrophomonas. The aim of this manuscript is to survey the effects of plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria by presenting case studies and successful paradigms in various agricultural and horticultural crops.

Biocontrol rhizobacteria enhances growth and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum) under field conditions against Fusarium oxysporum

The current study aimed to identify the survival of bio-control bacteria with antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum and assess their growth promoting activity in wheat crop field conditions. To evaluate the fungicidal activities of isolated bacteria using the dual culture method, both qualitative and quantitative bioassays were performed. Plant Growth Promoting activities such as Indole 3-Acetic Acid (IAA), phosphate solubilization, Hydrogen cyanide (HCN), and Siderophore production were assessed for three biocontrol bacterial isolates (BCB 07, BCB16, and BCB 83) out of 180 with 70% antagonistic activity against Fusarium oxysporum. Chitinase, protease, and cellulase interaction in isolates was also tested. BCB16 was selected as it had 70% antagonist activity against F. oxysporum but also had the highest PGPR (Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria) traits when compared to the other two isolates. BCB16 was also tested for survival in talc powder and in wheat crop field conditions. Even after 4 months in talc powder, the survival rate remained stable. In a wheat crop field, BCB16 reduced the disease incidence of Fusarium oxysporum by 54.38%. When compared to fungus alone treatment, BCB16 increased average yield by 57% alone and 32% in challenged conditions. BCB16 was identified molecularly using the 16s rRNA gene. Bacillus amyloliquefaciens shared 97% of the deduced sequence. The sequence was submitted to genbank and assigned the accession number OM333889. Bacillus amyloliquefaciens has the potential to be used in the field as an alternative to synthetic fungicides against Fusarium oxysporum.

Fertilization of Microbial Composts: A Technology for Improving Stress Resilience in Plants

Microbial compost plays a crucial role in improving soil health, soil fertility, and plant biomass. These biofertilizers, based on microorganisms, offer numerous benefits such as enhanced nutrient acquisition (N, P, and K), production of hydrogen cyanide (HCN), and control of pathogens through induced systematic resistance. Additionally, they promote the production of phytohormones, siderophore, vitamins, protective enzymes, and antibiotics, further contributing to soil sustainability and optimal agricultural productivity. The escalating generation of organic waste from farm operations poses significant threats to the environment and soil fertility. Simultaneously, the excessive utilization of chemical fertilizers to achieve high crop yields results in detrimental impacts on soil structure and fertility. To address these challenges, a sustainable agriculture system that ensures enhanced soil fertility and minimal ecological impact is imperative. Microbial composts, developed by incorporating characterized plant-growth-promoting bacteria or fungal strains into compost derived from agricultural waste, offer a promising solution. These biofertilizers, with selected microbial strains capable of thriving in compost, offer an eco-friendly, cost-effective, and sustainable alternative for agricultural practices. In this review article, we explore the potential of microbial composts as a viable strategy for improving plant growth and environmental safety. By harnessing the benefits of microorganisms in compost, we can pave the way for sustainable agriculture and foster a healthier relationship between soil, plants, and the environment.

Exogenous application of antagonistic Streptomyces sp. SND-2 triggers defense response in Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek (mung bean) against anthracnose infection

Anthracnose is a devastating disease caused by the fungus Colletotrichum lindemuthianum (CL) in Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek (mung bean). In the present study, an eco-friendly approach to control anthracnose infection, growth promotion and enhancement of defense response in mung bean plants using endophytic actinomycetes was performed. Among the 24 actinomycetes isolates from the Cleome rutidosperma plant, the isolate SND-2 exhibited a broad spectrum of antagonistic activity with 63.27% of inhibition against CL in the dual culture method. Further, the isolate SND-2 was identified as Streptomyces sp. strain SND-2 (SND-2) through the 16S rRNA gene sequence. In-vitro screening of plant growth trials confirmed that SND-2 has the potential to produce indole acetic acid, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, phosphate solubilization, and siderophore. The in-vivo biocontrol study was performed with exogenous application of wettable talcum-based formulation of SND-2 strain to mitigate CL infection in mung bean seedlings. The results displayed maximum seed germination, vigor index, increased growth parameters, and lowest disease severity (43.63 ± 0.73) in formulation treated and pathogen challenged mung bean plants. Further, the application of SND-2 formulation with pathogen witnessed increased cellular defense through the maximum accumulation of lignin, hydrogen peroxide and phenol deposition in mung bean leaves compared with control treatments. Biochemical defense response exhibited upregulation of antioxidant enzymes such as phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, β-1,-3-Glucanase, and peroxidase enzymes activities with increased phenolic (3.64 ± 0.11 mg/g fresh weight) and flavonoid (1.14 ± 0.05 mg/g fresh weight) contents in comparison with other treatments at 0, 4, 12, 24, 36, and 72 h post pathogen inoculation. This study demonstrated that formulation of Streptomyces sp. strain SND-2 is a potential source as a suppressive agent and plant growth promoter in mung bean plants upon C. lindemuthianum infestation and witnesses the elevation in cellular and biochemical defense against anthracnose disease.

Inoculation with Actinobacteria spp. Isolated from a Hyper-Arid Environment Enhances Tolerance to Salinity in Lettuce Plants (Lactuca sativa L.)

Irrigated agriculture is responsible for a third of global agricultural production, but the overuse of water resources and intensification of farming practices threaten its sustainability. The use of saline water in irrigation has become an alternative in areas subjected to frequent drought, but this practice affects plant growth due to osmotic impact and excess of ions. Plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can mitigate the negative impacts of salinity and other abiotic factors on crop yields. Actinobacteria from the hyper-arid Atacama Desert could increase the plant tolerance to salinity, allowing their use as biofertilizers for lettuce crops using waters with high salt contents. In this work, rhizosphere samples of halophytic Metharme lanata were obtained from Atacama Desert, and actinobacteria were isolated and identified by 16S gene sequencing. The PGPR activities of phosphate solubilization, nitrogen fixation, and the production of siderophore and auxin were assessed at increasing concentrations of NaCl, as well as the enhancement of salt tolerance in lettuce plants irrigated with 100 mM of NaCl. Photosynthesis activity and chlorophyll content, proline content, lipid peroxidation, cation and P concentration, and the identification and quantification of phenolic compounds were assessed. The strains S. niveoruber ATMLC132021 and S. lienomycini ATMLC122021 were positive for nitrogen fixation and P solubilization activities and produced auxin up to 200 mM NaCl. In lettuce plants, both strains were able to improve salt stress tolerance by increasing proline contents, carotenoids, chlorophyll, water use efficiency (WUE), stomatal conductance (gs), and net photosynthesis (A), concomitantly with the overproduction of the phenolic compound dicaffeoylquinic acid. All these traits were positively correlated with the biomass production under saltwater irrigation, suggesting its possible use as bioinoculants for the agriculture in areas where the water resources are scarce and usually with high salt concentrations.

Assessment of different carrier materials for the preparation of microbial formulations to enhance the shelf life and its efficacy on the growth of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.)

The current study was undertaken to determine the ability of different carrier materials for sustaining the viability of microbial consortium during storage. Different bioformulations consisting of carrier material and microbial consortium were prepared and examined for viability and stability for one year stored at 4 °C and ambient temperature. Total 8 bio-formulations were prepared consisting five economically viable carriers (gluten, talc, charcoal, bentonite, broth medium) and a microbial consortium. In present study, maximum enhanced shelf-life of consortium based on colony forming unit count were recorded for talc + gluten based (B4) bioformulation (9.03 log₁₀ cfu/g) over other bio-formulations stored for 360 days. Furthermore, the pot experiments was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of B4 formulation on growth of spinach in comparison with recommended dose of chemical fertilizer, uninoculated and no amendment control. The results depicted that B4 formulation increased biomass (176-666%), leaf area (33-123%), chlorophyll content (131-789%) and protein content (68.4-94.4%) of spinach over controls. Further B4 application significantly increased the nutrients like available nitrogen (131-475%), phosphorus (75-178%) and potassium (31-191%) of pot soil along with noteworthy improvement in root colonization as evident from scanning electron microscope analysis in comparison to controls at 60 days after sowing. Therefore, exploiting B4 formulation can serve as the environmentally sound approach to enhance the productivity, biomass and nutritional value of spinach. Thus, Plant growth promoting microbes-based formulation can be the novel paradigm to improve the soil health and eventually the crop productivity in economical and sustainable manner.

Antifungal Metabolites of Streptomyces chrestomyceticus STR-2 Inhibits Magnaporthe oryzae, the Incitant of Rice Blast

Rice, a staple food crop worldwide, suffers devastating yield losses as a result of blast disease caused by Magnaporthe oryzae Cav. The adverse effects of chemicals on the environment are rising concerns for sustainable and eco-friendly approaches. The use of antagonistic microbes for the management of rice blast appears to be a sustainable solution to this challenge. Herein, we isolated 20 Streptomyces strains from rice rhizosphere, among which the isolate STR-2 exhibited maximum inhibition of mycelial growth of M. oryzae accounting for 50% reduction over control. The isolate STR-2 was identified as S. chrestomyceticus through 16S rRNA gene sequencing. In vitro tests demonstrated its ability to produce antifungal and bioactive compounds and also synthesize siderophore, IAA, and phosphate-solubilizing agents, thereby promoting plant growth upon inoculation on rice seeds. GC-MS analysis showed the presence of volatiles, antifungal, antimicrobial, and antioxidant compounds with different retention times. The crude antibiotic extract of 0.5% of S. chrestomyceticus STR-2 reduced the mycelial growth of M. oryzae over the control. Application of talc-based formulation of Streptomyces chrestomyceticus STR-2 resulted in the least disease incidence (15.89%) with the highest disease reduction of 65.26% over untreated control under field condition. These findings indicate the potential of S. chrestomyceticus as a potential bio-inoculant against rice blast disease.

Polymeric Encapsulate of Streptomyces Mycelium Resistant to Dehydration with Air Flow at Room Temperature

Encapsulation is one of the technologies applied for the formulation of biological control agents. The function of the encapsulating matrix is to protect the biological material from environmental factors, while dehydration allows for its viability to be prolonged. An advantage of dehydrated encapsulation formulations is that they can be stored for long periods. However, vegetative cells require low-stress dehydration processes to prevent their loss of viability. Herein we describe the fabrication of a dehydrated encapsulate of the Streptomyces CDBB1232 mycelium using sodium alginate with a high concentration of mannuronic acid; sodium alginate was added with YGM medium for mycelium protection purposes. The encapsulation was carried out by extrusion, and its dehydration was carried out in a rotating drum fed with air at room temperature (2-10 L min^-1). The drying of the capsules under air flows higher than 4 L min^-1 led to viability loss of the mycelium. The viability loss can be decreased up to 13% by covering the alginate capsules with gum arabic. Compared to conventional dehydration processes, air moisture removal can be lengthy, but it is a low-cost method with the potential to be scaled.

Changes in the Microbial Structure of the Root Soil and the Yield of Chinese Baby Cabbage by Chemical Fertilizer Reduction with Bio-Organic Fertilizer Application

Using high-throughput sequencing, this study aimed to explore the response of soil microbial community and Chinese baby cabbage yield to the reduction of chemical fertilizers combined with bio-organic fertilizer. Our experiments consisted of conventional fertilizer (CK), 30% chemical fertilizer reduction + 6,000 kg/ha bio-organic fertilizer (T1), 30% chemical fertilizer reduction + 9,000 kg/ha bio-organic fertilizer (T2), 40% chemical fertilizer reduction + 6,000 kg/ha bio-organic fertilizer (T3), and 40% chemical fertilizer reduction + 9,000 kg/ha bio-organic fertilizer (T4). Compared with CK, soil microbial diversity and richness were higher for all treatments with added bio-organic fertilizer. Principle coordinate analysis (PCoA) showed that the bacterial and fungal communities in T2 and T4 were similar to each other. Redundancy and Spearman's correlation analyses of microbial communities and soil physicochemical properties revealed that reductions in chemical fertilizer rate combined with bio-organic fertilizer had a stronger impact on the fungal than the bacterial community. They also increased the relative abundance of the dominant bacterial and fungal phyla. Chinese baby cabbage yield was relatively higher under the combined bio-organic fertilizer plus reduced chemical fertilizer rate with T2 showing the highest yield. Therefore, this approach is feasible for sustainable agricultural, cost-effective and profitable crop production. IMPORTANCE Chemical fertilizers are commonly used for agriculture, though bio-organic fertilizers may be more efficient. We found that a mixture of bio-organic and moderately reduced chemical fertilizer was more effective than chemical fertilizer alone, as it raised the Chinese baby cabbage yield. Further, the presence of bio-organic fertilizer enhanced overall soil physicochemistry, as well as improved the beneficial bacterial and fungal abundance and diversity. Thus, we found that fertilizer combination sustainably & cost-effectively improves crop & soil quality.

Investigating the plant growth promoting and biocontrol potentiality of endophytic Streptomyces SP. SP5 against early blight in Solanum lycopersicum seedlings

BACKGROUND

Early blight (EB), caused by Alternaria solani, is one of the alarming diseases that restrict tomato production globally. Existing cultural practices and fungicide applications are not enough to control early blight diseases. Therefore, the study aimed to isolate, identify, and characterize an endophytic Streptomyces exhibiting the potential to control early blight in tomato and also promote plant growth.

RESULTS

From a Citrus jambhiri leaf, an endophytic Streptomyces sp. with antagonistic activity against Alternaria solani, Colletotrichum acutatum, Cladosporium herbarum, Alternaria brassicicola, Alternaria sp., Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium sp. was isolated. It was identified as a Streptomyces sp. through 16S ribosomal DNA sequence analysis and designated as SP5. It also produced indole acetic acid which was confirmed by Salkowski reagent assay, TLC and HPLC analysis. Treatment of pathogen infected plants with Streptomyces sp. SP5 antagonists (culture cells/culture supernatant/solvent extract/ acetone precipitates) decreased the early blight disease incidence and significantly increased the various agronomic traits.

CONCLUSION

The present study concluded that Streptomyces sp. SP5 possessed antifungal activity against different fungal phytopathogens and had significant potential to control early blight disease and promote plant growth.

Actinobacteria-Plant Interactions in Alleviating Abiotic Stress

Abiotic stressors, such as drought, flooding, extreme temperature, soil salinity, and metal toxicity, are the most important factors limiting crop productivity. Plants use their innate biological systems to overcome these abiotic stresses caused by environmental and edaphic conditions. Microorganisms that live in and around plant systems have incredible metabolic abilities in mitigating abiotic stress. Recent advances in multi-omics methods, such as metagenomics, genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics, have helped to understand how plants interact with microbes and their environment. These methods aid in the construction of various metabolic models of microbes and plants, resulting in a better knowledge of all metabolic exchanges engaged during interactions. Actinobacteria are ubiquitous and are excellent candidates for plant growth promotion because of their prevalence in soil, the rhizosphere, their capacity to colonize plant roots and surfaces, and their ability to produce various secondary metabolites. Mechanisms by which actinobacteria overcome abiotic stress include the production of osmolytes, plant hormones, and enzymes, maintaining osmotic balance, and enhancing nutrient availability. With these characteristics, actinobacteria members are the most promising candidates as microbial inoculants. This review focuses on actinobacterial diversity in various plant regions as well as the impact of abiotic stress on plant-associated actinobacterial diversity and actinobacteria-mediated stress mitigation processes. The study discusses the role of multi-omics techniques in expanding plant-actinobacteria interactions, which aid plants in overcoming abiotic stresses and aims to encourage further investigations into what may be considered a relatively unexplored area of research.

Streptomyces-mediated growth enhancement and Bacterial Panicle Blight disease suppression in rice plants under greenhouse conditions

Streptomyces corchorusii TKR8, Streptomyces corchorusii JAS2 and Streptomyces misionensis TBS5 were previously obtained from rice fields and have been studied as a biocontrol agent against the causal agent of Bacterial Panicle Blight (BPB) disease on rice, Burkholderia glumae, and rice plant growth promoter. This study evaluated the potential of plant growth-promoting Streptomyces (PGPS) to control B. glumae and promote rice plants' growth under greenhouse conditions. PGPS were further characterized based on their phenotypic and biochemical differences. Multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) by amplifying gyrB, rpoB and trpB using PCR was conducted to identify the PGPS further. The antimicrobial activity of PGPS against B. glumae was investigated using a survival assay and microscopic analysis. Result indicates that JAS2 (61.2%) utilized the highest number of carbohydrates tested, followed by TKR8 (53.1%) and TBS5 (40.8%) as analyzed using API 50 CH. Based on MLSA analysis of the concatenated partial sequences (1,520bp) from three housekeeping genes, the neighbour-joining tree identified JAS2 and TKR8 as S. corchorusii. Meanwhile, TBS5 as S. misionensis. Antimicrobial activity of PGPS against B. glumae has found that the supernatant of Streptomyces reduced the survival viability of B. glumae up to 50.7 to 70.3%. SEM images showed that substantial morphological changes happened in cell membranes of B. glumae after the Streptomyces treatment. The highest vigor index of inoculated seedlings was determined when rice seeds were treated with a spore suspension of 1 × 10⁷ spore/mL (for JAS2 and TKR8) and 1 × 10⁶ spore/mL (for TBS5). Under greenhouse conditions, Streptomyces-treated plants showed improvement in rice plants' growth and grain yield and reduced the BPB disease severity. Results suggest that the S. corchorusii TKR8, S. corchorusii JAS2 and S. misionensis TBS5 should be promoted as biocontrol agents against B. glumae and bioformulations for rice crops.

Biocontrol of Wilt disease of rice seedlings incited by Fusarium oxysporum through soil application of Streptomyces chilikensis RC1830

The genus Streptomyces includes many antifungal metabolite producing novel strains. Fusarium oxysporum a soil-inhabiting pathogenic fungi, that affects rice to cause wilt disease. This work demonstrates the efficacy of novel Streptomyces chilikensis strain RC1830, previously isolated from estuarine habitat Chilika Lake in preventing the F. oxysporum wilting/root rot disease and promoting the growth of rice (Var. Swarna) seedlings. A total of 25 different compounds were identified from crude extracts of S. chilikensis RC1830 by GC-MS. In pot trial experiments, Streptomyces treated rice seedlings showed significantly reduced Disease severity index (DSI) by 80.51%. The seedlings growth parameters (root length, root fresh weight and root dry weight )were also increased by 53.91%, 62.5%, 73.46% respectively in Streptomyces treated groups of seedlings compared to Fusarium infected seedlings. Similarly, the shoot length, shoot dry weight and shoot fresh weight were also increased by 26%, 58% and 34.4% respectively in Streptomyces treated groups of seedlings compared to Fusarium infected seedlings. Formulations of the strain were prepared using seven organic & inorganic wastes as the carrier material and the shelf lives of the propagules were also monitored. Vermiculite and activated charcoal formulations stored at 4°C exhibited a higher viable cell count after 3 months of storage.

Fungal disease suppression and growth promotion potential of endophytic bacteria from ethnomedicinal plants

103 bacterial isolates obtained from 8 ethnomedicinal plants in Manipur, India were studied for antifungal and plant growth promoting (PGP) activities. Forty-six (46), out of 62 antifungal isolates, showed potent activities against R. solani. Since R. solani (RS), a sheath blight pathogen, threatens rice yields worldwide, the present study was aimed at discovering promising bioinoculants with anti-RS and PGP potential on rice. Twenty-nine (29) endophytic isolates exhibiting promising anti-RS and PGP activities were subjected to seed vigor assays on rice (var. Jatra) and 16 were found to enhance rice seedling vigour by 70% or more over the control. Four (4) strains, Streptomyces sp. (AcRz21), Alkalihalobacillus sp. (PtL11), Bacillus sp. (TgIb5), and Priestia sp. (TgIb12) with the highest vigor indices were studied for growth promotion of rice in field conditions under pathogen-challenged and pathogen-free conditions. These bioactive strains were able to significantly enhance root and shoot biomass and reduce lesion heights caused by R. solani.

Amelioration of aluminum phytotoxicity in Solanum lycopersicum by co-inoculation of plant growth promoting Kosakonia radicincitans strain CABV2 and Streptomyces corchorusii strain CASL5

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is the main constraint for crop cultivation in acidic soils. In this study, Al-tolerant rhizobacteria Kosakonia radicincitans (CABV2) and actinobacteria Streptomyces corchorusii (CASL5) were isolated from Beta vulgaris rhizosphere in acidic soil. Both isolates displayed high tolerance to Al (10 mM), produce siderophores, indole-3-acetic acid, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate and solubilize phosphate. Co-inoculation of CABV2 and CASL5 strains were significantly increased the root length (312.90%), shoot length (183.19%), fresh weight (224.82%), dry weight (309.25%) and photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a 279.69%, chlorophyll b 188.23% and carotenoids 158.20%) of Solanum lycopersicum plants under 300 mg Al kg^-1 soil conditions as compared to uninoculated Al stressed plants. Similarly, the co-inoculation treated plants subjected to Al stress condition enhanced the uptake of essential nutrients (N 229%, P 252%, K 115%, Fe 185%, Mg 345% and Ca 202%) by plants as compared to Al stressed uninoculated plants. Under Al stress (300 mg Al kg^-1 soil), co-inoculation significantly decreased malondialdehyde content (66%), and increased catalase (83%), superoxide dismutase (82%), peroxidase (89%) activities and root exudates (organic acids 6.44-12.36 fold) in S. lycopersicum as compared to uninoculated plants, indicating that the CABV2 and CASL5 strains were reduced Al-induced oxidative stress. Moreover, co-inoculation significantly reduced Al accumulation in the root (89%), stem (95%) and leaves (94%) of S. lycopersicum under Al stress at 300 mg Al kg^-1 soil, compared to the uninoculated plants. This is the first report of K. radicincitans strain CABV2 and S. corchorusii strain CASL5 potentially reducing Al uptake in S. lycopersicum.

Unraveling the tripartite interaction of volatile compounds of Streptomyces rochei with grain mold pathogens infecting sorghum

Sorghum is a major grain crop used in traditional meals and health drinks, and as an efficient fuel. However, its productivity, value, germination, and usability are affected by grain mold, which is a severe problem in sorghum production systems, which reduces the yield of harvested grains for consumer use. The organic approach to the management of the disease is essential and will increase consumer demand. Bioactive molecules like mVOC (volatile organic compound) identification are used to unravel the molecules responsible for antifungal activity. The Streptomyces rochei strain (ASH) has been reported to be a potential antagonist to many pathogens, with high levels of VOCs. The present study aimed to study the inhibitory effect of S. rochei on sorghum grain mold pathogens using a dual culture technique and via the production of microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOCs). mVOCs inhibited the mycelial growth of Fusarium moniliforme by 63.75 and Curvularia lunata by 68.52%. mVOCs suppressed mycelial growth and inhibited the production of spores by altering the structure of mycelia in tripartite plate assay. About 45 mVOCs were profiled when Streptomyces rochei interacted with these two pathogens. In the present study, several compounds were upregulated or downregulated by S. rochei, including 2-methyl-1-butanol, methanoazulene, and cedrene. S. rochei emitted novel terpenoid compounds with peak areas, such as myrcene (1.14%), cymene (6.41%), and ç-terpinene (7.32%) upon interaction with F. moniliforme and C. lunata. The peak area of some of the compounds, including furan 2-methyl (0.70%), benzene (1.84%), 1-butanol, 2-methyl-(8.25%), and myrcene (1.12)%, was increased during tripartite interaction with F. moniliforme and C. lunata, which resulted in furan 2-methyl (6.60%), benzene (4.43%), butanol, 2-methyl (18.67%), and myrcene (1.14%). These metabolites were implicated in the sesquiterpenoid and alkane biosynthetic pathways and the oxalic acid degradation pathway. The present study shows how S. rochei exhibits hyperparasitism, competition, and antibiosis via mVOCs. In addition to their antimicrobial functions, these metabolites could also enhance plant growth.

The 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase-producing Streptomyces violaceoruber UAE1 can provide protection from sudden decline syndrome on date palm

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), sudden decline syndrome (SDS) is one of the major fungal diseases caused by Fusarium solani affecting date palm plantations. To minimize the impact of the causal agent of SDS on date palm, native actinobacterial strains isolated from rhizosphere soils of healthy date palm plants were characterized according to their antifungal activities against F. solani DSM 106836 (Fs). Based on their in vitro abilities, two promising biocontrol agents (BCAs), namely Streptomyces tendae UAE1 (St) andStreptomyces violaceoruber UAE1 (Sv), were selected for the production of antifungal compounds and cell wall degrading enzymes (CWDEs), albeit their variations in synthesizing 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase (ACCD). Although both isolates showed antagonism when applied 7 days before the pathogen in the greenhouse experiments, the ACCD-producing Sv was relatively superior in its efficacy against SDS over the non-ACCD-producing St. This was evident from the symptoms of SDS in diseased date palm seedlings which were greatly reduced by Sv compared to St. On a scale of 5.0, the estimated disease severity indices in Fs-diseased seedlings were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced from 4.8 to 1.5 and 0.5 by St and Sv, respectively. Thus, the number of conidia of Fs recovered from plants pre-treated with both BCAs was comparable, but significantly (P < 0.05) reduced compared to plants without any BCA treatment. In addition, a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in ACC levels of both the root and shoot tissues was detected inSv + Fs seedlings to almost similar levels of healthy seedlings. However, in planta ACC levels highly increased in seedlings grown in soils infested with the pathogen alone or amended with St prior to F. solani infestation (St + Fs). This suggests a major role of ACCD production in relieving the stress of date palm seedlings infected with F. solani, thus supporting the integrated preventive disease management programs against this pathogen. This is the first report of effective rhizosphere actinobacterial BCAs to provide protection against SDS on date palm, and to help increase agricultural productivity in a more sustainable manner in the UAE and the other arid regions.

'Kodo poisoning': cause, science and management

Many mycotoxigenic fungi infect the food crops and affect the quality of the produce due to production of mycotoxins. Kodo millet is one of the important minor millets cultivated in India, mostly confined to marginal lands and tribal regions but has high yield potential under good management. The grains are nutritious and have anti-oxidant properties besides having many medicinal properties. However, the consumption is often hindered by the condition called 'kodo poisoning' resulting from fungal contamination producing cyclopiazonic acid, a toxic fungal secondary metabolite. An attempt has been made here to review the limited information available on kodo poisoning, its causes and effects, and proposed management practices by which the contamination can be checked. Further research efforts are essential for identifying sources of natural resistance to fungal metabolite, induction of host resistance through antimicrobial compounds or microbial antagonism to the pathogens to achieve cleaner grains from this crop even under high humid and rainy conditions. By effective adoption of both pre- and post-harvest management the kodo millet grains can be made safe for human consumption and can be popularized as a nutritious grain.

Synergism of Industrial and Agricultural Waste as a Suitable Carrier Material for Developing Potential Biofertilizer for Sustainable Agricultural Production of Eggplant

The study investigates biochar from agriculture waste and flyash from coal power station as possible carrier materials for two plant growth-promoting (PGP) bacterial strains Burkholderia sp. L2 and Bacillus sp. A30 for enhanced eggplant growth and yield. Biochar-based biofertilizers with/without flyash showed higher viability up to 270 days of storage period. The maximum percentage of seed germination was observed in L2-based biochar and flyash + biochar (1:1) bifertilizer. Moreover, the L2 + biochar+flyash produced a maximum percentage increase in fruit yield with significant (p < 0.05) improvement in plant growth parameters. Post-harvest soil status also showed enhanced physical (water holding capacity, moisture content), chemical (pH, electrical conductivity, NPK), and dehydrogenase activity. The study suggests that biofertilizer of L2 strain with agriculture waste generated biochar and flyash as carrier materials can tremendously enhance the productivity of eggplant and could act as a substitute for chemical fertilizer thus solving their disposal problem by sustainable waste management.

Immobilization-Based Bio-formulation of Aspergillus awamori S29 and Evaluation of Its Shelf Life and Re-usability in the Soil-Plant Experiment

The present study was an attempt to evaluate the bio-formulations of phosphate-solubilizing fungus Aspergillus awamori S29 using two economically viable carriers (calcium alginate and agar) in repeated batch fermentation. Further, the viable cell count under storage and response of these stored bio-formulations on the growth of wheat plants were studied at the end of 2, 4, and 6 months of incubation. Also, the response of these formulations in next season on pearl millet (bajra) was studied without further inoculation. In repeated batch fermentation assay, immobilized form performed significantly better than free form. The viability of fungal inoculant was 88.2% in calcium alginate-based bio-formulation after six months of storage. These bio-formulations showed not only a statistically significant increase in the growth of wheat crop in first season but also of pearl millet in next season. This work strengthens the re-usability potential of immobilized bio-formulations for next season crop.

Phytostimulating Potential of Endophytic Bacteria from Ethnomedicinal Plants of North-East Indian Himalayan Region

North-East Indian Himalayan Region has a humid subtropical climate having diverse ecosystems. The majority of the population of the region depends on agriculture for sustainable livelihood. However, it can produce only 1.5% of the country’s food grains, thereby importing from other parts of the country for consumption. To feed the increase in the population of the region, there is an urgent need to augment the agricultural and allied products to sustain the population and uplift the economic conditions. Plant beneficial endophytes isolated from ethnomedicinal plants of North-East India play an important role as a plant growth promoter by the production of phytohormones, solubilization and mobilization of mineral nutrients. It also indirectly promotes growth by protecting the plants from diseases through the production of antibiotics, enzymes and volatile compounds. The bacteria also have the potential to induce systemic resistance against various abiotic stresses. Since the region has various agro-climatic conditions, the plants are continuously affected by abiotic stress particularly, acidity, drought and waterlogging, there is a need to explore the indigenous endophytes that can mitigate the stress and enhance the sustainable development of agricultural products.

Effects of a Powder Formulation of Streptomyces cameroonensis on Growth and Resistance of Two Cocoa Hybrids from Cameroon against Phytophthora megakarya (Causal Agent of Black Pod Disease)

In the present study we evaluated the efficacy of a bioformulation of Streptomyces cameroonensis for control of black pod disease in cocoa and enhancement of seedling growth. The formulation developed using talc powder and cassava starch as carriers showed high shelf-life of 1.07 × 10⁶ CFU/g after six months storage at 4°C. The formulation was tested for inhibition of spore germination in Phytophthora megakarya and showed 100% inhibition at 10% (w/v) of formulation. To determine the efficacy of the formulation, we performed an in planta assay in the greenhouse on two hybrids of cocoa seedlings, the tolerant SNK413 × (♂) T79/467 and the susceptible UPA 134× (♂) SCA 12. Detached leaf assay showed a significant reduction in the disease severity index of about 67% for the tolerant hybrid and 55% for the susceptible hybrid compared to non-treated plants. A significant enhancement in stem length, leaf surface area and root weight was observed. Analysis of biochemical markers of defense showed a significant increase in total polyphenol, flavonoid, and total protein contents. There was also significant upregulation of PR-proteins such as chitinases, peroxidases and β-1, 3-glucanases following treatment of both tolerant and susceptible hybrids, though with a higher level of synthesis in the tolerant hybrids. A significant increase was also observed in polyphenol oxidase activities in plants treated with the formulation. This work demonstrated the stability and effectiveness of the S. cameroonensis powder formulation in suppressing black pod disease in cocoa and subsequently enhancing the growth of seedlings.

Biofertilizers: An ecofriendly technology for nutrient recycling and environmental sustainability

•

Agriculture plays an important role in a country's economy. In modern intensive agricultural practices, chemical fertilizers and pesticides are applied on large scale to increase crop production in order to meet the nutritional requirements of the ever-increasing world population. However, rapid urbanization with shrinking agricultural lands, dramatic change in climatic conditions and extensive use of agrochemicals in agricultural practices has been found to cause environmental disturbances and public health hazards affecting food security and sustainability in agriculture. Besides this, agriculture soils are continuously losing their quality and physical properties as well as their chemical (imbalance of nutrients) and biological health due to indiscriminate use of agrochemicals. Plant-associated microbes with their plant growth- promoting traits have enormous potential to solve these challenges and play a crucial role in enhancing plant biomass and crop yield under greenhouse and field conditions. The beneficial mechanisms of plant growth improvement include enhanced availability of nutrients (i.e., N, P, K, Zn and S), phytohormone modulation, biocontrol of phytopathogens and amelioration of biotic and abiotic stresses. This plant-microbe interplay is indispensable for sustainable agriculture and these microbes may perform essential role as an ecological engineer to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers. Various steps involved for production of solid-based or liquid biofertilizer formulation include inoculum preparation, addition of cell protectants such as glycerol, lactose, starch, a good carrier material, proper packaging and best delivery methods. In addition, recent developments of formulation include entrapment/microencapsulation, nano-immobilization of microbial bioinoculants and biofilm-based biofertilizers. Thus, inoculation with beneficial microbes has emerged as an innovative eco-friendly technology to feed global population with available resources. This review critically examines the current state-of-art on use of microbial strains as biofertilizers in different crop systems for sustainable agriculture and in maintaining soil fertility and enhancing crop productivity. It is believed that acquisition of advanced knowledge of plant-PGPR interactions, bioengineering of microbial communities to improve the performance of biofertilizers under field conditions, will help in devising strategies for sustainable, environment-friendly and climate smart agricultural technologies to deliver short and long terms solutions for improving crop productivity to feed the world in a more sustainable manner.

Modern intensive agricultural practices face numerous challenges that pose major threats to global food security. In order to address the nutritional requirements of the ever-increasing world population, chemical fertilizers and pesticides are applied on large scale to increase crop production. However, the injudicious use of agrochemicals has resulted in environmental pollution leading to public health hazards. Moreover, agriculture soils are continuously losing their quality and physical properties as well as their chemical (imbalance of nutrients) and biological health. Plant-associated microbes with their plant growth- promoting traits have enormous potential to solve these challenges and play a crucial role in enhancing plant biomass and crop yield. The beneficial mechanisms of plant growth improvement include enhanced nutrient availability, phytohormone modulation, biocontrol of phytopathogens and amelioration of biotic and abiotic stresses. Solid-based or liquid bioinoculant formulation comprises inoculum preparation, addition of cell protectants such as glycerol, lactose, starch, a good carrier material, proper packaging and best delivery methods. Recent developments of formulation include entrapment/microencapsulation, nano-immobilization of microbial bioinoculants and biofilm-based biofertilizers. This review critically examines the current state-of-art on use of microbial strains as biofertilizers and the important roles performed by these beneficial microbes in maintaining soil fertility and enhancing crop productivity.

Biological control and plant growth promotion properties of Streptomyces albidoflavus St-220 isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza rhizosphere

Root rot disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum is a devastating disease of Salvia miltiorrhiza and dramatically affected the production and quality of Sa. miltiorrhiza. Besides the agricultural and chemical control, biocontrol agents can be utilized as an additional solution. In the present study, an actinomycete that highly inhibited F. oxysporum was isolated from rhizosphere soil and identified as based on morphological and molecular characteristics. Greenhouse assay proved that the strain had significant biological control effect against Sa. miltiorrhiza root rot disease and growth-promoting properties on Sa. miltiorrhiza seedlings. To elucidate the biocontrol and plant growth-promoting properties of St-220, we employed an analysis combining genome mining and metabolites detection. Our analyses based on genome sequence and bioassays revealed that the inhibitory activity of St-220 against F. oxysporum was associated with the production of enzymes targeting fungal cell wall and metabolites with antifungal activities. Strain St-220 possesses phosphate solubilization activity, nitrogen fixation activity, siderophore and indole-3-acetic acid production activity in vitro, which may promote the growth of Sa. miltiorrhiza seedlings. These results suggest that St. albidoflavus St-220 is a promising biocontrol agent and also a biofertilizer that could be used in the production of Sa. miltiorrhiza.

Performance of halotolerant bacteria associated with Sahara-inhabiting halophytes Atriplex halimus L. and Lygeum spartum L. ameliorate tomato plant growth and tolerance to saline stress: from selective isolation to genomic analysis of potential determinants

The use of halotolerant beneficial plant-growth-promoting (PGP) bacteria is considered as a promising eco-friendly approach to improve the salt tolerance of cash crops. One strategy to enhance the possibility of obtaining stress-alleviating bacteria is to screen salt impacted soils. In this study, amongst the 40 endophytic bacteria isolated from the roots of Sahara-inhabiting halophytes Atriplex halimus L. and Lygeum spartum L., 8 showed interesting NaCl tolerance in vitro. Their evaluation, through different tomato plant trials, permitted the isolate IS26 to be distinguished as the most effective seed inoculum for both plant growth promotion and mitigation of salt stress. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence, the isolate was closely related to Stenotrophomonas rhizophila. It was then screened in vitro for multiple PGP traits and the strain-complete genome was sequenced and analysed to further decipher the genomic basis of the putative mechanisms underlying its osmoprotective and plant growth abilities. A remarkable number of genes putatively involved in mechanisms responsible for rhizosphere colonization, plant association, strong competition for nutrients, and the production of important plant growth regulator compounds, such as AIA and spermidine, were highlighted, as were substances protecting against stress, including different osmolytes like trehalose, glucosylglycerol, proline, and glycine betaine. By having genes related to complementary mechanisms of osmosensing, osmoregulation and osmoprotection, the strain confirmed its great capacity to adapt to highly saline environments. Moreover, the presence of various genes potentially related to multiple enzymatic antioxidant processes, able to reduce salt-induced overproduction of ROS, was also detected.

Harnessing intercellular signals to engineer the soil microbiome

Covering: Focus on 2015 to 2020Plant and soil microbiomes consist of diverse communities of organisms from across kingdoms and can profoundly affect plant growth and health. Natural product-based intercellular signals govern important interactions between microbiome members that ultimately regulate their beneficial or harmful impacts on the plant. Exploiting these evolved signalling circuits to engineer microbiomes towards beneficial interactions with crops is an attractive goal. There are few reports thus far of engineering the intercellular signalling of microbiomes, but this article argues that it represents a tremendous opportunity for advancing the field of microbiome engineering. This could be achieved through the selection of synergistic consortia in combination with genetic engineering of signal pathways to realise an optimised microbiome.

Engineering the Plant Microenvironment To Facilitate Plant-Growth-Promoting Microbe Association

New technologies that enhance soil biodiversity and minimize the use of scarce resources while boosting crop production are highly sought to mitigate the increasing threats that climate change, population growth, and desertification pose on the food infrastructure. In particular, solutions based on plant-growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) bring merits of self-replication, low environmental impact, tolerance to biotic and abiotic stressors, and reduction of inputs, such as fertilizers. However, challenges in facilitating PGPB delivery in the soil still persist and include survival to desiccation, precise delivery, programmable resuscitation, competition with the indigenous rhizosphere, and soil structure. These factors play a critical role in microbial root association and development of a beneficial plant microbiome. Engineering the seed microenvironment with protein and polysaccharides is one proposed way to deliver PGPB precisely and effectively in the seed spermosphere. In this review, we will cover new advancements in the precise and scalable delivery of microbial inoculants, also highlighting the latest development of multifunctional rhizobacteria solutions that have beneficial impact on not only legumes but also cereals. To conclude, we will discuss the role that legislators and policymakers play in promoting the adoption of new technologies that can enhance the sustainability of crop production.

Identification of Novel Rotihibin Analogues in Streptomyces scabies, Including Discovery of Its Biosynthetic Gene Cluster

Streptomyces scabies is a phytopathogen associated with common scab disease. This is mainly attributed to its ability to produce the phytotoxin thaxtomin A, the biosynthesis of which is triggered by cellobiose. During a survey of other metabolites released in the presence of cellobiose, we discovered additional compounds in the thaxtomin-containing extract from Streptomyces scabies. Structural analysis by mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) revealed that these compounds are amino acid sequence variants of the TOR (target of rapamycin) kinase (TORK) pathway-inhibitory lipopeptide rotihibin A, and the main compounds were named rotihibins C and D. In contrast to thaxtomin, the production of rotihibins C and D was also elicited in the presence of glucose, indicating different regulation of their biosynthesis. Through a combination of shotgun and targeted proteomics, the putative rotihibin biosynthetic gene cluster rth was identified in the publicly available genome of S. scabies 87-22. This cluster spans 33 kbp and encodes 2 different nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) and 12 additional enzymes. Homologous rth biosynthetic gene clusters were found in other publicly available and complete actinomycete genomes. Rotihibins C and D display herbicidal activity against Lemna minor and Arabidopsis thaliana at low concentrations, shown by monitoring the effects on growth and the maximal photochemistry efficiency of photosystem II. IMPORTANCE Rotihibins A and B are plant growth inhibitors acting on the TORK pathway. We report the isolation and characterization of new sequence analogues of rotihibin from Streptomyces scabies, a major cause of common scab in potato and other tuber and root vegetables. By combining proteomics data with genomic analysis, we found a cryptic biosynthetic gene cluster coding for enzyme machinery capable of rotihibin production. This work may lead to the biotechnological production of variants of this lipopeptide to investigate the exact mechanism by which it can target the plant TORK pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana. In addition, bioinformatics revealed the existence of other variants in plant-associated Streptomyces strains, both pathogenic and nonpathogenic species, raising new questions about the actual function of this lipopeptide. The discovery of a module in the nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) that incorporates the unusual citrulline residue may improve the prediction of peptides encoded by cryptic NRPS gene clusters.

Application of Bio-Friendly Formulations of Chitinase-Producing Streptomyces cellulosae Actino 48 for Controlling Peanut Soil-Borne Diseases Caused by Sclerotium rolfsii

Of ten actinobacterial isolates, Streptomyces cellulosae Actino 48 exhibited the strongest suppression of Sclerotium rolfsii mycelium growth and the highest chitinase enzyme production (49.2 U L^-1 min^-1). The interaction between Actino 48 and S. rolfsii was studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM), which revealed many abnormalities, malformations, and injuries of the hypha, with large loss of S. rolfsii mycelia density and mass. Three talc-based formulations with culture broth, cell-free supernatant, and cell pellet suspension of chitinase-producing Actino 48 were characterized using SEM, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and a particle size analyzer. All formulations were evaluated as biocontrol agents for reducing damping-off, root rot, and pods rot diseases of peanut caused by S. rolfsii under greenhouse and open-field conditions. The talc-based culture broth formulation was the most effective soil treatment, which decreased the percentage of peanut diseases under greenhouse and open-field conditions during two successive seasons. The culture broth formulation showed the highest increase in the dry weight of peanut shoots, root systems, and yielded pods. The transcriptional levels of three defense-related genes (PR-1, PR-3, and POD) were elevated in the culture broth formulation treatment compared with other formulations. Subsequently, the bio-friendly talc-based culture broth formulation of chitinase-producing Actino 48 could potentially be used as a biocontrol agent for controlling peanut soil-borne diseases caused by S. rolfsii.

Endophytic actinobacteria of a halophytic desert plant Pteropyrum olivieri: promising growth enhancers of sunflower

In the present study, 40 actinobacterial isolates were obtained from the roots of a desert plant, Pteropyrum olivieri and tested for extracellular hydrolytic enzyme activities, hydrogen cyanide, and siderophore production. Based on these activities, three isolates designated UTMC 2482, UTMC 2483, and UTMC 3136 were selected with an aim of developing bio-fertilizing agent to improve the growth of sunflower plants under normal conditions. The selected isolates showed 98.2, 98.4, and 100% similarities in the 16S rRNA gene sequences to Streptomyces chromofuscus, Streptomyces ambofaciens, and Streptomyces gardneri, respectively. These isolates exhibited indole acetic acid production while UTMC 2483 was found to produce 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase, as well. Sunflower seeds soaked in the bacterial spore suspensions increased the tolerance of sunflower seedlings to the stresses of salinity and water deficiency up to 270 mM of NaCl and - 2Mpa of PEG6000, respectively. Under normal conditions, inoculation with individual isolates and their consortia enhanced the yield (plant length, weight, and flower diameter) and biochemical contents (i.e. chlorophyll, protein, and oil) up to 5.3, 1.7, and 2.4 times higher than that of un-inoculated plants, significantly (p < 0.05) in greenhouse and field experiments. This is the first study demonstrating that endophytic actinobacteria from the desert plant, P. olivieri, have profound bio-fertilizing effects on the growth of sunflower.

Streptomyces sp. CLV45 from Fabaceae rhizosphere benefits growth of soybean plants

Plant growth-promoting bacteria such as Streptomyces are an attractive alternative for increasing the sustainability of agricultural systems. In this study, Streptomyces isolates obtained from rhizosphere soil of plants in the family Fabaceae were characterized for their plant growth-promoting traits, including the production of siderophores, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and phenazines. Soybean seeds were bacterized with selected isolates to test growth promotion. All isolates produced IAA, and the isolate CLV45 was the most efficient, reaching 398.53 mg of IAA per gram of cells. CLV41, CLV45, and CLV46 showed high activity for ACC deaminase whereas CLV42, CLV44, and CLV46 were efficient in siderophore production. Pyocyanin was detected in all isolates; CLV41, CLV43, and CLV45 produced phenazine-carboxylic acid as well. Selected for IAA and ACC deaminase production combined with production of siderophores and phenazines, CLV42, CLV44, and CLV45 were tested for their growth promotion potential. Seed bacterization with CLV45 resulted in plants with increased shoot growth (36.63%) and dry mass (17.97%) compared to control plants. Results suggest that moderate or high levels of auxin and ACC deaminase production by the isolate CLV45 positively affected the growth of soybean plants, making it a strong candidate for further studies on biofertilizer formulation.

Response of Soybean to Hydrochar-Based Rhizobium Inoculation in Loamy Sandy Soil

Hydrochar is rich in nutrients and may provide a favorable habitat or shelter for bacterial proliferation and survival. Therefore, in this study, we investigate the efficiency of a hydrochar-based rhizobial inoculant (Bradyrhizobium japonicum) on the symbiotic performance of soybean under both greenhouse and field conditions. There were positive and significant effects of hydrochar-based inoculation on the root and shoot growth of soybean as compared to uninoculated plants grown under irrigated and drought conditions. The drought stress significantly inhibited the symbiotic performance of rhizobia with soybean. Soybean inoculated with hydrochar-based B. japonicum produced twofold more nodules under drought stress conditions as compared to plants inoculated with a commercial preparation/inoculant carrier B. japonicum (HISTICK). The N concentration of inoculated plants with hydrochar-based B. japonicum was by 31% higher than that of un-inoculated plants grown in pots and by 22% for HISTICK. Furthermore, the soybean treated with hydrochar-based B. japonicum showed higher grain yield of 29% under irrigated conditions and 40% higher under rainfed condition compared to un-inoculated plants. In conclusion, the obtained results proved the potential of hydrochar-based B. japonicum inoculant for soybean in terms of increased symbiotic performance and agronomic traits, especially under rainfed conditions.

Actinobacteria Associated with Vineyard Soils of Algeria: Classification, Antifungal Potential Against Grapevine Trunk Pathogens and Plant Growth-Promoting Features

Grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) are among the most destructive diseases of vineyards worldwide, including Algeria. In the fungal complex involved in GTD symptoms, referred as grapevine trunk-pathogens, Paeomoniella chlamydospora and Phaeoacremonium minimum have a determining infecting role as pioneer fungi. Due to the lack of efficiency of conventional disease management practices, a search for alternative strategies, such as biocontrol, is needed. Taking the approach of looking for biocontrol candidates in the environment surrounding the plant, the present study explored actinobacteria diversity within vineyard soils of six grape-producing regions in Algeria. Based on their 16S rRNA gene sequence, identification and phylogenic analysis were performed on the 40 isolates of actinobacteria obtained. Forty percent of strains were attached to Streptomyces, including two evidenced new species, and 32.5% were affiliated to Saccharothrix. The other less represented genera were Actinoplanes, Nocardia, Nocardiopsis, Lentzea, Nonomuraea, Promicromonospora, Saccharopolyspora and Streptosporangium. Screening based on antagonistic and plant growth promotion (PGP) abilities of the strains showed that 47.5% of the isolates exhibited appreciable antagonistic activities against both Pa. chlamydospora and Pm. minimum, with the two best strains being Streptomyces sp. Ms18 and Streptomyces sp. Sb11. Screening for plant growth promoting properties demonstrated that majority of the strains were able to produce indole acetic acid, siderophores, ammonia, ACC deaminase, cellulase and amylase, and fix N₂. Through a PGP-traits-based cluster analysis, the most interesting strains were highlighted. Taking into account both antagonistic and PGP properties, Streptomyces sp Sb11 was selected as the most promising candidate for further evaluations of its efficiency in a GTDs context.

Seasonal Variation Influence Endophytic Actinobacterial Communities of Medicinal Plants from Tropical Deciduous Forest of Meghalaya and Characterization of Their Plant Growth-Promoting Potentials

The endophytic actinobacteria constitute a diverse community which has vast potential importance that may be exploited in pharmaceutical, agricultural, and biotechnological industries. However, the effects of seasonal changes on distribution of endophytic actinobacteria in medicinal plants of Meghalaya are largely uncharacterized. Here, we investigated host and seasonal influence on diversity of endophytic actinobacteria residing in roots of six medicinal plant species of Meghalaya. A total of 493 cultivable endophytic actinobacterial isolates representing 41 species were obtained from root segments of six plant species which had been collected during four different seasons of 2011-2012 and 2012-2013. Among the host plant species, maximum actinobacterial colonization was observed in Costus speciosus and minimum in Potentilla fulgens. In regard to seasons, the highest actinobacterial colonization and relative abundance were observed during summer season and least was recorded during the winter season. It was ascertained that though endophytic actinobacteria have varying capacity to colonize in different plant species during the seasons, colonization is not found to be species-specific. Culture-independent attempt also inferred that actinobacterial community varied amongst the six medicinal plants during the different seasons. Hence, seasons are influential factors in the colonization capacity of endophytic actinobacterial community. Furthermore, plant growth-promoting activities were recorded in 34.15% of the isolates. Hence, these results indicate that endophytic actinobacteria from the selected medicinal plants also represent an important source of plant growth-promoting bioactive metabolites.

Antifungal, Plant Growth-Promoting, and Genomic Properties of an Endophytic Actinobacterium Streptomyces sp. NEAU-S7GS2

Diseases caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum have caused severe losses of many economically important crops worldwide. Due to the long-term persistence of sclerotia in soil and the production of air-borne ascospores, synthetic fungicides play limited roles in controlling the diseases. The application of antagonistic microorganisms can effectively reduce the number of sclerotia and eventually eradicate S. sclerotiorum from soil, and therefore considerable interest has been focused on biological control. Streptomyces sp. NEAU-S7GS2 was isolated from the root of Glycine max and its rhizosphere soil. It showed significant inhibitory activity against the mycelial growth of S. sclerotiorum (99.1%) and completely inhibited sclerotia germination. Compared to the control, in the pot experiment the application of NEAU-S7GS2 not only demonstrated excellent potential to control sclerotinia stem rot of soybean with 77 and 38% decrease in disease incidence and disease index, respectively, but could promote the growth of soybean. The light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy showed that co-culture of NEAU-S7GS2 with S. sclerotiorum on potato dextrose agar could lead to contorted and fragmented mycelia of S. sclerotiorum, which was associated with the secretion of hydrolytic glucanase and cellulase and the production of active secondary metabolites by NEAU-S7GS2. The plant growth promoting activity of NEAU-S7GS2 was related to the solubilization of inorganic phosphate, and production of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase and indole acetic acid (IAA). To further explore the plant growth promoting and antifungal mechanisms, the complete genome of strain NEAU-S7GS2 was sequenced. Several genes associated with ammonia assimilation, phosphate solubilization and IAA synthesis, together with genes encoding ACC deaminase, glucanase and α-amylase, were identified. AntiSMASH analysis led to the identification of four gene clusters responsible for the biosynthesis of siderophores including desferrioxamine B and enterobactin. Moreover, the biosynthetic gene clusters of lydicamycins, phenazines, and a glycosylated polyol macrolide showing 88% gene similarity to PM100117/PM100118 were identified. These results suggested that strain NEAU-S7GS2 may be a potential biocontrol agent and biofertilizer used in agriculture.

Actinobacteria from Extreme Niches in Morocco and Their Plant Growth-Promoting Potentials

The objectives of this study were to assess actinobacterial diversity in five Moroccan extreme habitats and to evaluate their plant growth-promoting (PGP) activities. The soil samples were collected from different locations, including soils contaminated with heavy metals, from a high altitude site, from the desert, and from a marine environment. In total, 23 actinobacteria were isolated, 8 from Merzouga sand soil; 5 from Cannabis sativa rhizospheric soil; 5 from Toubkal mountain; 4 from a Draa sfar mining site; and 1 from marine soil. Based on their genotypic classification using 16S rRNA gene sequences, 19 of all belonged to the genus Streptomyces (82%) while the rest are the members of the genera Nocardioides (4.5%), Saccharomonospora (4.5%), Actinomadura (4.5%), and Prauserella (4.5%). Isolates Streptomyces sp. TNC-1 and Streptomyces sp. MNC-1 showed the highest level of phosphorus solubilization activity with 12.39 and 8.56 mg/mL, respectively. All 23 isolates were able to solubilize potassium, and 91% of them could grow under nitrogen-free conditions. The ability of the isolated actinobacteria to form indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) ranged from 6.70 to 75.54 μg/mL with Streptomyces sp. MNC-1 being the best IAA producer. In addition, all of the actinobacteria could produce siderophores, with Saccharomonospora sp. LNS-1 synthesizing the greatest amount (138.92 μg/mL). Principal coordinate analysis revealed that Streptomyces spp. MNC-1, MNT-1, MNB-2, and KNC-5; Saccharomonospora sp. LNS-1; and Nocardioides sp. KNC-3 each showed a variety of high-level plant growth-promoting activities. The extreme environments in Morocco are rich with bioactive actinobacteria that possess a variety of plant growth-promoting potentials that can further benefit green and sustainable agriculture.

Effect of bioformulations on the biocontrol efficacy, microbial viability and storage stability of a consortium of biocontrol agents against Fusarium wilt of banana

AIMS

This study sought to investigate the effect of bioformulation on the biocontrol efficacy, microbial viability and storage stability of a consortium of Pseudomonas aeruginosa DRB1 and Trichoderma harzianum CBF2 against Foc Tropical Race 4 (Foc-TR4).

MATERIALS AND RESULTS

Four bioformulations consisting of dry (pesta granules, talc powder and alginate beads) and liquid formulations were evaluated for their ability to control Foc-TR4, sustain microbial populations after application and maintain microbial stability during storage. All tested bioformulations reduced disease severity (DS) by more than 43·00% with pesta granules producing the highest reduction in DS by 66·67% and the lowest area under the disease progress curve value (468·75) in a glasshouse trial. Microbial populations of DRB1 and CBF2 were abundant in the rhizosphere, rhizoplane and within the roots of bananas after pesta granules application as compared to talc powder, alginate beads and liquid formulations 84 days after inoculation (DAI). The stability of both microbial populations after 180 days of storage at 4°C was the greatest in the pesta granule formulation.

CONCLUSION

The pesta granule formulation was a suitable carrier of biological control agents (BCA) without compromising biocontrol efficacy, microbial population and storage stability as compared to other bioformulations used in this study.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Pesta granules could be utilized to formulate BCA consortia into biofertilizers. This formulation could be further investigated for possible applications under agricultural field settings.

Pre- and Postharvest Strategies to Minimize Mycotoxin Contamination in the Rice Food Chain

Rice is part of many people's diet around the world, being the main energy source in some regions. Although fewer reports exist on the occurrence of mycotoxins in rice compared to other cereals, fungal contamination and the associated production of toxic metabolites, even at lower occurrence levels compared to other crops, are of concern because of the high consumption of rice in many countries. Due to the diversity of fungi that may contaminate the rice food chain, the co-occurrence of mycotoxins is frequent. Specific strategies to overcome these problems may be applied at the preharvest part of the crop chain, while assuring good practices at harvest and postharvest stages, since different fungi may find suitable conditions to grow at the various stages of the production chain. Therefore, the aim of this review is to present the state-of-the-art knowledge on such strategies in an integrated way, from the field to the final products, to reduce mycotoxin contamination in rice.

Development of low-cost formulations of plant growth-promoting bacteria to be used as inoculants in beneficial agricultural technologies

Phosphorus is one of the main macronutrients for plant development. Despite its large deposits in soils, it is scarcely available for plants. Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria, belonging to the group of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), are capable of mobilizing deposits of insoluble phosphates in the soil. The use of PGPR as inoculants provides an environmentally sustainable approach to increase crop production. The effectiveness of inoculants depends on their proper production, formulation and storage in order to ensure the application of the required number of viable microbial cells. In order to develop inexpensive technology, low-cost compounds for biomass production and protection should be used. After the biomass production process, the product should be formulated in a liquid or a solid form, taking into account required storage time, use of protectors/carriers, storage conditions (temperature, humidity, etc.), ease of application and maintenance of beneficial effects on crops. Careful determination of these optimal conditions would ensure a low-cost efficient inoculant that would promote the growth and yield of various crops.

Streptomyces desertarenae sp. nov., a novel actinobacterium isolated from a desert sample

A Streptomyces isolate, designated strain SYSU D8023^T, was isolated from a desert sand sample collected from Gurbantunggut desert, China. The characterisation of the isolate was achieved using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. The isolate was found to be Gram-positive and aerobic. The strain was found to be able to grow at 14-50 °C, pH 6.0-9.0 and in the presence of up to 7% (w/v) NaCl. Strain SYSU D8023^T contains LL-diaminopimelic acid as a cell wall diamino acid. The polar lipids were identified as diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol mannoside, an unidentified glycolipid and an unidentified phospholipid. MK-9(H₆) and MK-9(H₈) were detected as the respiratory quinones, and anteiso-C_15:0, iso-C_16:0 and anteiso-C_17:0 as the predominant fatty acids. Pairwise comparison of the 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain SYSU D8023^T has a sequence identity of 97.9% to Streptomyces barkulensis RC 1831^T. The DNA G + C content of strain SYSU D8023^T was determined to be 70.1 mol%. Based on the analyses of the phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic characteristics, strain SYSU D8023^T was concluded to represent a novel species of the genus Streptomyces, for which the name Streptomyces desertarenae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of the species is SYSU D8023^T (= CGMCC 4.7455^T = KCTC 49023^T).

Feather degrading, phytostimulating, and biocontrol potential of native actinobacteria from North Eastern Indian Himalayan Region

Twelve actinobacterial strains were isolated from tomato rhizospheric soil from Manipur, a state in North East Indian Himalayan Region and screened for keratinolytic and plant growth promoting traits. Nine promising isolates were identified as Streptomyces species using partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Among the seven isolates showing chicken feather degradation activity, three keratinolytic strains RCM-SSR-2, -6, and -12 were found to be the most efficient feather degrading strains achieving 90% feather weight loss within 48 h of incubation. They also showed maximum keratinase and soluble peptide production. Strain RCM-SSR-2, -5, -6, -8, and -11 showed positive results for all plant growth promoting traits tested. Maximum indole-3-acetic acid production was exhibited by RCM-SSR-6. Strain RCM-SSR-1, -2, -5, -6, -9, and -11 showed antagonistic activity against three important plant pathogens. Feather hydrolysate of RCM-SSR-6 was also evaluated for in vitro seed germination test using garden pea seeds. Higher concentration of feather protein hydrolysate (3 mg ml^-1 ) inhibited shoot and root length of the germinating embryo. However, lower concentration (0.01 mg ml^-1 ) of feather protein hydrolysate promoted seed germination. Among the 12 strains, four isolates namely RCM-SSR-1, -2, -5, and -6 were found to be promising as multi-traits plant growth promoting rhizobacteria for development of organic fertilizer, phytostimulator, and biocontrol agents.

Induction of defense responses against Magnaporthe oryzae in rice seedling by a new potential biocontrol agent Streptomyces JD211

The induced resistance against plant pathogens via biocontrol agents is considered as an eco-friendly and promising strategy. In this study, the induced resistance against Magnaporthe oryzae (M. oryzae) in rice seedling by a new potential biocontrol agent Streptomyces JD211 (JD211) was evaluated. The effects of JD211 on defense-related enzymes activities and defense genes expression were investigated. The biocontrol efficacy of different JD211 concentrations was different, and the treatment of 10 g kg^-1 JD211 achieved the highest biocontrol efficacy. Activities of catalase, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and β-1,3-glucanase significantly increased in the presence of JD211. The gene expression level of both PAL and pathogenesis related protein 1 increased when rice seedlings were inoculated with JD211 alone or co-inoculated with M. oryzae, and the expression level of chitinase gene was enhanced by JD211 in the later stage. All results suggested that JD211 could increase the rice resistance by stimulating a series of defense responses, which was the result of induced systemic resistance by JD211. This work will provide a new biocontrol agent against Magnaporthe oryzae in rice seedling.