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Disease suppression, growth promotion and colonization attributes of resident endophytic bacteria against white root rot (Dematophora necatrix Hartig) of apple

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Abstract

The inherent potential of apple plants was investigated to explore bacterial endophytes and their role in suppressing Dematophora necatrix, the causative pathogen of white root rot disease. Resultantly 34 endophytic bacteria isolated from healthy apple plants, and subsequently 6 most efficient isolates viz., Bacillus megaterium strain EA3, Enterobacter sp. strain EA7, Bacillus megaterium strain EK2, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strain EK6, Acinetobacter nosocomialis strain ES2 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain ES8 depicting anti-pathogen interactions through preliminary screening were assessed further under in vitro, glasshouse and field conditions against white root rot pathogen/disease. Maximum mycelial growth inhibition (80.37%) was obtained with S. maltophilia strain EK6 encouraging for its seed treatment and soil application thereby providing significant effective control (87.91%) of white root rot under glasshouse conditions to other five bacterial endophytes evaluated simultaneously, followed by field efficacy of 83.70%. In addition, it has significantly enhanced the growth parameters of apple trees under both glasshouse and field conditions. The inoculated healthy plants were assessed for endophytic colonization which revealed maximum endosphere colonialism by S. maltophilia strain EK6. Additionally, confocal microscopic images of transverse sections of root cells colonized by bacterial endophytes as compared to untreated control implied their persistence and establishment in endosphere of apple seedlings. The study provides the first report on interaction between apple associated bacterial root endophytes and D. necatrix. The obtained endophytic strains could be employed as alternative for mitigating white root rot disease in future.

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Data Availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

PGP:

Plant growth promoting

NA:

Nutrient agar

BLAST:

Basic local alignment search tool

PDA:

Potato dextrose agar

NCBI:

National Centre for biotechnology information

NB:

Nutrient broth

PDC:

Per cent disease control

DAPI:

4’, 6-Diamidino-2-phenylindole

CLSM:

Confocal laser scanning microscopy

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Acknowledgements

The first author gratefully acknowledges the help granted by Directorate of Research, Professor & Head, Dept. of Plant Pathology, Associate Director, Regional Horticultural Research and Training Station, Sharbo, Kinnaur, Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry Nauni, Solan 173230 (H.P.) India for permitting the field and laboratory facilities and other assistance. Authors also gratefully acknowledge the Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh (India) for providing Confocal Microscopy facility to carry out the root colonization assay.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Pathology, CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya Palampur, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, 176062, India

    Joginder Pal

  2. Department of Plant Pathology, Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, 173230, India

    Satish K. Sharma

  3. Department of Basic Sciences, Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, 173230, India

    Anju Sharma

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Contributions

A. Dr. Joginder Pal laid out the laboratory, glasshouse and field experiments B. Dr. Satish K. Sharma design the glasshouse field experiments A and B. Dr. Joginder Pal and Dr. Satish K. Sharma wrote the manuscript and C. Dr. Anju Sharma analyse the data of laboratory and field experimentation A, B and C. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Joginder Pal.

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Pal, J., Sharma, S.K. & Sharma, A. Disease suppression, growth promotion and colonization attributes of resident endophytic bacteria against white root rot (Dematophora necatrix Hartig) of apple. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 117, 15 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10482-023-01913-1

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