Biocontrol of rice blast by the phenaminomethylacetic acid producer of Bacillus methylotrophicus strain BC79

Strain BC79, isolated from primeval forest soil in Qinling, Mountains, China, was identified as Bacillus methylotrophicus based on morphological, biochemical, physiological and chemotaxonomic analyses as well as phylogenetic 16S rDNA sequencing data. This strain was able to suppress mycelial growth and conidial germination of numerous plant pathogenic fungi in dual cultures on solid media. For exploring potential biocontrol activity, we assessed fermentation conditions for studying B. meth1ylotrophicus BC79. The active substance of BC79, phenaminomethylacetic acid, was extracted by TLC and HPLC, and identified as the strongest inhibitory substance described in B. methylotrophicus. Experiments in a greenhouse showed that application of BC79 culture filtrates 24 h before inoculation of Magnaporthe oryzae, the causal agent of rice blast, had 89.87% biocontrol efficiency. B. methylotrophicus BC79 colonized rice plant tissues and at 10 days after filtrate application, its population in leaves (1.65 × 108 CFU/g) was much larger than in stems (6.78 × 107 CFU/g) or roots (3.56 × 107 CFU/g). Field trials indicated that BC79 culture filtrate (4000 g/667 m2) showed the highest efficiency for M. oryzae, with 84.8% biocontrol effect, followed by of 15% phenaminomethylacetic acid extract (75.5%) and 20% tricyclazole (76.1%). Seedling and post-transplant stages were the best periods to apply BC79 for control of rice blast. The B. methylotrophicus BC79 strain hence has enormous potential as an agricultural agent for biocontrol of rice blast.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights► Bacillus methylotrophicus BC79 strain was isolated from Tsinling primeval forest soil in the northwest of China.► Culture filtrates of BC79 could evidently suppress mycelial growth and conidial germination of several pathogenic fungal. ► Phenaminomethylacetic acid was turned out to be a new kind of substance never found in Bacillus methylotrophicus. ► Culture filtrates of BC79 and Phenaminomethylacetic acid both showed better biocontrol efficiency against rice blast.