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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Crop Protection and Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #242194
Title: Evaluation of an antibiotic producing strain of Pseudomonas flourescens for suppression of plant-parasitic nematodes

Author
item Timper, Patricia - Patty
item KONE, DAOUDA - University Of Cocody
item YIN, JINGFANG - University Of Georgia
item JI, PINGSHENG - University Of Georgia
item MCSPADDEN GARDENER, BRIAN - The Ohio State University

Submitted to: Journal of Nematology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/14/2009
Publication Date: 6/10/2010
Citation: Timper, P.N., Kone, D., Yin, J., Ji, P., McSpadden Gardener, B.B. 2009. Evaluation of an antibiotic producing strain of Pseudomonas flourescens for suppression of plant-parasitic nematodes. Journal of Nematology. 41:234-240.

Interpretive Summary: The antibiotic DAPG (2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol), produced by some Pseudomonad bacteria, is involved in suppression of several fungal root pathogens as well as plant-parasitic nematodes. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether Wood1R, a DAPG-producing Pseudomonad, suppresses numbers of both sedentary and migratory plant-parasitic nematodes. An experiment was conducted in pasteurized soil and included two seed treatments (with Wood1R and a control without the bacterium) and six plant-nematode combinations which were the southern root-knot nematode on cotton, corn, and soybean; peanut root-knot nematode on peanut; soybean cyst nematode on soybean; and stubby-root nematode on corn. Wood 1R had no effect on final numbers of the peanut root-knot, soybean cyst, or stubby-root nematodes; however, final numbers of the southern root-knot nematode were lower when seeds were treated with Wood1R than with untreated seeds for all host plants tested. Population densities of Wood1R were greater on the roots of corn than on the other crops, and the bacterium was most effective in suppressing the southern root-knot nematode on corn, with an average reduction of 41%. Despite high population densities on corn, the bacterium was not able to suppress numbers of the stubby-root nematode. When comparing the suppression of the southern root-knot nematode on corn in natural and pasteurized soil, egg production by the nematode was suppressed in natural compared to pasteurized soil, but the presence of Wood1R did not result in additional suppression of the nematodes in the natural soil. These data indicate that DAPG-producing pseudomonads have the capacity to inhibit some populations of plant-parasitic nematodes. However, ecologically significant suppression of nematodes in natural soils seems unlikely.

Technical Abstract: The antibiotic 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG), produced by some strains of Pseudomonas spp., is involved in suppression of several fungal root pathogens as well as plant-parasitic nematodes. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether Wood1R, a D-genotype strain of DAPG-producing P. fluorescens, suppresses numbers of both sedentary and migratory plant-parasitic nematodes. An experiment was conducted in steam-heated soil and included two seed treatments (with Wood1R and a control without the bacterium) and six plant-nematode combinations which were Meloidogyne incognita on cotton, corn, and soybean; M. arenaria on peanut; Heterodera glycines on soybean; and Paratrichodorus minor on corn. Wood 1R had no effect on final numbers of M. arenaria, P. minor, or H. glycines; however, final numbers of M. incognita were lower when seeds were treated with Wood1R than with untreated seeds and this reduction was consistent among host plants. Population densities of Wood1R were greater on the roots of corn than on the other crops, and the bacterium was most effective in suppressing M. incognita on corn, with an average reduction of 41%. Despite high population densities on corn, the bacterium was not able to suppress numbers of P. minor. When comparing the suppression of M. incognita on corn in natural and steam-heated soil, egg production by the nematode was suppressed in natural compared to steamed soil, but the presence of Wood1R did not result in additional suppression of the nematodes in the natural soil. These data indicate that DAPG-producing pseudomonads have the capacity to inhibit some populations of plant-parasitic nematodes. However, ecologically significant suppression of nematodes in natural soils seems unlikely.