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ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Crop Germplasm Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #346844
Research Project: Identification of Resistance in Sorghum to Fungal Pathogens and Characterization of Pathogen Population Structure

Location: Crop Germplasm Research

Title: A pictorial illustration of the inhibition of mycelial growth and spore germination of various sorghum fungal pathogens by a Bacillus species

Author
item Prom, Louis
item Medrano, Enrique
item ISAKEIT, THOMAS - Texas A&M University
item JACOBSEN, ROXANNE - Texas A&M University
item Droleskey, Robert - Bob

Submitted to: Research Journal of Plant Pathology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/2/2017
Publication Date: 11/10/2017
Citation: Prom, L.K., Medrano, E.G., Isakeit, T., Jacobsen, R., Droleskey, R.E. 2017. A pictorial illustration of the inhibition of mycelial growth and spore germination of various sorghum fungal pathogens by a Bacillus species. Research Journal of Plant Pathology. 1(1):002.

Interpretive Summary: Sorghum is fifth most important cereal crop. Annually, fungal diseases reduce the crop yield and quality, costing growers at least 100 million dollars. This study identified a bacterium that was observed growing in plates containing sorghum seeds as a close relative of Bacillus subtilis. This bacterium was able to inhibit both mycelial growth and spore germination of some of the most serious fungal pathogens of sorghum. This work is significant because it has identified a potential biocontrol agent that could be used to control sorghum diseases in the field; thereby reducing the production cost and ensuring environmentally safety.

Technical Abstract: Sorghum is one of the most indispensable cereals for food, fodder, and in brewery, especially in the drier tropics. Recently, sorghum is considered a potential source of biofuel. Globally, the productivity and profitability of sorghum is hampered by biotic stresses, causing anthracnose, grain mold, smuts, and downy mildew. In this study, a bacterium was observed growing on half-strength potato dextrose agar plate containing sorghum seeds. Using both plate and paper disc assays, activity of the determined Gram-positive bacillus (called LP16S) was tested against four destructive sorghum pathogens Fusarium thapsinum, Colletotrichum sublineola, Curvularia lunata, and Bipolaris sp. Confirmatory in vitro analysis showed that LP16S was capable of inhibiting both mycelial growth and spore germination of these pathogens. Identification of the strain using 16S rDNA sequence analysis characterized LP16S as a putative Bacillus subtilis (99% identities). Work is underway to determine the effectiveness of LP16S in suppressing sorghum diseases.