Endophytic bacterial consortium: powerful antifungal team against menacing Phytopathogens of Apple (Malus Pumila)

Biological control is a cost effective, natural, and sustainable alternative to chemical pesticides for management of pathogens. The main aim of this study was to investigate new wide spectrum biological agents to develop a microbial formulation against soil borne and air borne Plant pathogens. Almost 100 endophytic strains (Bacterial, fungal and actinomycetes) were screened for their antipathogenic activity against dreadful plant pathogens. Out of 100 strains screened 5 strains (3bacterial and 2 fungal strains) were found to be effective antipathogenic activity against Plant pathogens. The 5 effective strains were identified as Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus megaterium, Pseudomonas species, Trichoderma asperellum and Trichoderma atroviride . All these strains were screened individually as well as in a team of microbial consortium to find out antipathogenic activity. Though all microbes showed promising activity individually against pathogens but bacterial consortium had shown better activity than individual microbes. Compatibility testing had shown that bacterial strains were compatible with each other. The Plant pathogens under test were: Venturia inequalis, Alternaria alternata, Fusarium oxyporium, Phytophthora infestans, Phytophthora cactorum and Pencillium expansum. Three bacterial strains Bacillus subtillis, Bacillus megaterium and Pseudomonas species produced antifungal compounds to inhibit pathogens where as Trichoderma asperellum and Trichoderma atroviride penetrate pathogenic hyphae and compete for food and produced parasitic inhibition. The cell filtrate of all bacterial strains inhibits the growth of pathogens invitro but extract of fungal strains did not inhibit pathogens invitro. Results proved the efficacy of the individual as well as consortium as biocontrol agents to common soil and air borne pathogens.