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Development of a powder formulation based on Bacillus cereus sensu lato strain B25 spores for biological control of Fusarium verticillioides in maize plants

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Abstract

Maize is an economically important crop in northern Mexico. Different fungi cause ear and root rot in maize, including Fusarium verticillioides (Sacc.) Nirenberg. Crop management of this pathogen with chemical fungicides has been difficult. By contrast, the recent use of novel biocontrol strategies, such as seed bacterization with Bacillus cereus sensu lato strain B25, has been effective in field trials. These approaches are not without their problems, since insufficient formulation technology, between other factors, can limit success of biocontrol agents. In response to these drawbacks, we have developed a powder formulation based on Bacillus B25 spores and evaluated some of its characteristics, including shelf life and efficacy against F. verticillioides, in vitro and in maize plants. A talc-based powder formulation containing 1 × 109 c.f.u. g−1 was obtained and evaluated for seed adherence ability, seed germination effect, shelf life and antagonism against F. verticillioides in in vitro and in planta assays. Seed adherence of viable bacterial spores ranged from 1.0 to 1.41 × 107 c.f.u. g−1. Bacteria did not display negative effects on seed germination. Spore viability for the powder formulation slowly decreased over time, and was 53 % after 360 days of storage at room temperature. This formulation was capable of controlling F. verticillioides in greenhouse assays, as well as eight other maize phytopathogenic fungi in vitro. The results suggest that a talc-based powder formulation of Bacillus B25 spores may be sufficient to produce inoculum for biocontrol of maize ear and root rots caused by F. verticillioides.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Karla Yeriana Leyva Madrigal, Marco Antonio Magallanes Tapia, Daniel Torres Rodríguez, and Dr. Miguel Ángel Apodaca Sánchez for providing phytopathogenic fungi other than F. verticillioides P03, in order to conduct the in vitro antagonistic assays. We acknowledge technical help from Karina Isabel Medellín-Bool. We thank Dr. Brandon Loveall of Improvence for English proofreading of the manuscript. The authors are grateful to the Fundación Produce Sinaloa (SIP-2012-RE/146) and the Instituto Politécnico Nacional (SIP 20121159, SIP 20131502, SIP-IPN 20144103) for supporting this research. JCMA received support from COTEBAL (IPN) to conduct this work (No. SeAca/COTEBAL/72/12) and a doctoral fellowship from CONACyT (94560).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biotecnología Agrícola, CIIDIR-IPN, Unidad Sinaloa, Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico

    Juan C. Martínez-Álvarez, Claudia Castro-Martínez & Ignacio E. Maldonado-Mendoza

  2. Programa Regional del Noroeste de Doctorado en Biotecnología, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico

    Juan C. Martínez-Álvarez

  3. Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico

    Pedro Sánchez-Peña

  4. Facultad de Ciencias Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico

    Roberto Gutiérrez-Dorado

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  1. Juan C. Martínez-Álvarez
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Correspondence to Ignacio E. Maldonado-Mendoza.

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Martínez-Álvarez, J.C., Castro-Martínez, C., Sánchez-Peña, P. et al. Development of a powder formulation based on Bacillus cereus sensu lato strain B25 spores for biological control of Fusarium verticillioides in maize plants. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 32, 75 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-015-2000-5

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