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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Auburn, Alabama » Soil Dynamics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #411210
Research Project: Agronomic and Engineering Solutions for Conventional and Organic Conservation Agricultural Systems in the Southeastern U.S.

Location: Soil Dynamics Research

Title: Locally isolated bacteria reduced the growth of pathogens, hindered insect larva development, and transformed insect gut microbiota

Author
item Adesemoye, Anthony
item ANTONY-BABU, SANJAY - Texas A&M University
item NAGY, E - Texas A&M University
item KAFLE, BASU - Texas A&M University
item GREGORY, T - Texas A&M University
item XIONG, CAIXING - Texas A&M University
item FADAMIRO, HENRY - Texas A&M University

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/13/2023
Publication Date: 2/29/2024
Citation: Adesemoye, A.O., Antony-Babu, S., Nagy, E.M., Kafle, B., Gregory, T.A., Xiong, C., Fadamiro, H.Y. 2024. Locally isolated bacteria reduced the growth of pathogens, hindered insect larva development, and transformed insect gut microbiota [ABSTRACT]. 101st Annual meeting of the Southern Division of American Phytopathological Society, South Carolina, February 26–29, 2024.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Pest and pathogen damage on crops leads to huge economic losses. Chemical pesticides are dwindling in efficacy. The study objective was to evaluate locally isolated plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) for the dual management of plant pathogens and insect pests via the activity on insect-gut microbiota. The PGPR isolates were recovered from corn rhizosphere in Texas and characterized through 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The strains were screened for anti-fungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum, F. verticillioides, Rhizoctonia solani, and Macrophomina phaseolina. Also, the strain consortium was blended into an artificial diet and fed to the 4th instar larvae of corn earworm and tobacco budworm. Gut microbiota was assessed by culture-dependent and -independent methods. All 4 PGPR strains - Bacillus subtilis TC04, B. halotolerans TC13, Enterobacter cloacae TC36, and Paenibacillus alvei TC44 reduced the growth of at least 3 pathogens in vitro. The inoculated diet resulted in significantly less larval weight compared to the control and caused changes in the taxonomic diversity and functional groups of both insect’s gut microbiota. The culture-dependent and -independent approaches were generally in agreement and showed a dominance of bacilli. While the mechanism of this shift is currently unknown, understanding the mechanism by which biocontrol strains manipulate insect-host’s gut and its health is important for developing sustainable pest management strategies.