Biological Control of Chili Damping-Off Disease, Caused by Pythium myriotylum

Pythium myriotylum is a notorious soil-borne oomycete that causes post-emergence damping-off in chili pepper. Of various disease management strategies, utilization of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) suppression and promotion an interesting strategy. The present study was performed to isolate characterize PGPR indigenous the rhizosphere Pakistan, test potential suppress chili. Out total 28 antagonists, eight bacterial isolates (4a2, JHL-8, JHL-12, 1C2, RH-24, 1D, 5C, RH-87) significantly suppressed colony P. dual culture experiment. All tested were characterized for biochemical attributes, 16S rRNA sequence based phylogenetic analysis identified these as Flavobacterium spp., Bacillus megaterium , Pseudomonas putida cereus libanensis . showed positive results ammonia production, starch hydrolase (except 4a2), hydrogen cyanide production 4a2 1D). antagonists produced indole-3-acetic acid (13.4–39.0 μg mL –1 ), solubilized inorganic phosphate (75–103 siderophores (17.1–23.7%) vitro varying levels susceptibility resistance response against different antibiotics all found be non-pathogenic seeds notably enhanced percentage seed germination, plumule, redical length, vigor index over un-inoculated control. Additionally, under pathogen pressure, bacterization increased defense related enzymes such Peroxidase (PO), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activates. Moreover, treatment with caused by improved PGP traits compared In addition, correlation noticed between shoot, root dry shoot weight, there negative seedling mortality. These native possesses multiple beneficial plants can used develop eco-friendly effective formulation alternative synthetic chemical fungicides.