Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are the rhizosphere bacteria that can enhance plant growth by a wide variety of mechanisms like phosphate solubilization, siderophore production, biological nitrogen fixation, rhizosphere engineering, production of 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase (ACC), quorum sensing (QS) signal interference and inhibition of biofilm formation, phytohormone production, exhibiting antifungal activity, production of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), induction of systemic resistance, promoting beneficial plant-microbe symbioses, interference with pathogen toxin production etc. The potentiality of PGPR in agriculture is steadily increased as it offers an attractive way to replace the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and other supplements. Growth promoting substances are likely to be produced in large quantities by these rhizosphere microorganisms that influence indirectly on the overall morphology of the plants. Recent progress in our understanding on the diversity of PGPR in the rhizosphere along with their colonization ability and mechanism of action should facilitate their application as a reliable component in the management of sustainable agricultural system. The progress to date in using the rhizosphere bacteria in a variety of applications related to agricultural improvement along with their mechanism of action with special reference to plant growth-promoting traits are summarized and discussed in this review.

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR): emergence in agriculture

Background
Inoculation of plants to enhance yield of crops and performance of other plants is a century old, proven technology for rhizobia and a newer venue for plant growth-promoting bacteria and other plant symbionts. The two main aspects dominating the success of inoculation are the effectiveness of the bacterial isolate and the proper application technology.

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Advances in plant growth-promoting bacterial inoculant technology: formulations and practical perspectives (1998–2013)

Although the number of biocontrol products is increasing, these products still represent only about 1% of agricultural chemical sales. Yet these are important contributions because biocontrol agents offer disease management alternatives with different mechanisms of action than chemical pesticides. Trends in research include the increased use of biorational screening processes to identify microorganisms with potential for biocontrol, increased testing under semicommercial and commercial production conditions, increased emphasis on combining biocontrol strains with each other and with other control methods, integrating biocontrol into an overall system.

Commercialization and Implementation of Biocontrol 1

Biological control and plant growth promotion by plant beneficial microbes has been viewed as an alternative to the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Bacteria and fungi that are naturally associated with plants and have a beneficial effect on plant growth by the alleviation of biotic and abiotic stresses were isolated and developed into biocontrol (BCA) and plant growth-promoting agents (PGPA). Actinobacteria are a group of important plant-associated spore-forming bacteria, which have been studied for their biocontrol, plant growth promotion, and interaction with plants. This review summarizes the effects of actinobacteria as BCA, PGPA, and its beneficial associations with plants.

Effects of actinobacteria on plant disease suppression and growth promotion.

Improving the efficacy of biocontrol agents against soilborne pathogens

Formulation of a Streptomyces Biocontrol Agent for the Suppression of Rhizoctonia Damping-off in Tomato Transplants

Antagonism by Streptomyces griseocarneus Benedict (strain Di944), a filamentous bacterium isolated from the rhizosphere of a field tomato plant, was investigated in culture and in the rhizospheres of tomato to understand the mechanisms of suppression of damping-off and root rot of tomato plug transplants. The bacterium inhibited Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn, the oomycete pathogens Pythium and Phytophthora spp., and fungal pathogens including Alternaria alternata, Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici, F. solani, Thielaviopsis basicola and Verticillium dahlia, but not bacterial pathogens of tomato as determined by agar diffusion bioassay. Standard physicochemical analyses of the metabolites extracted from cell-free culture filtrates of S. griseocarneus Di944 identified the presence of an antifungal compound, a pentaene macrolide complex, designated as rhizostreptin. This antifungal compound was also detected by ultra-violet spectrophotometry and...

Mechanism of antagonism by Streptomyces griseocarneus (strain Di944) against fungal pathogens of greenhouse-grown tomato transplants

Twig and blossom blight, and stem dieback, has become an impediment to highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) production in British Columbia. Periodic assessment of disease symptoms and patho...

Siva Sabaratnam

Papers

Formulation of a Streptomyces Biocontrol Agent for the Suppression of Rhizoctonia Damping-off in Tomato Transplants

Mechanism of antagonism by Streptomyces griseocarneus (strain Di944) against fungal pathogens of greenhouse-grown tomato transplants

Role of pycnidia in twig and blossom blight and stem dieback of highbush blueberry caused by Phomopsis vaccinii in British Columbia