Biological Properties of Streptomyces sp. BS062 Effective to Botrytis Diseases

The use of a microorganism or its secretions to prevent plant disease offers an attractive alternative or supplement to synthetic fungicides for the management of plant disease. A strain BS062 was selected based on the inhibitory effect of mycelial growth of Botrytis cinerea, a major causal fungus of postharvest root rots in ginseng and gray mold disease in strawberry. The strain BS062 was closely related to Streptomyces hygroscopicus (99% similarity) on the basis of the 16S ribosomal DNA sequence analysis. Postharvest root rots of ginseng and gray mold disease of strawberry caused by B. cinerea were controlled up to 80.7% and 58%, respectively, by treatment of the culture broth of Streptomyces sp. BS062. These results suggest that this antagonist could be considered as a potential biocontrol agent to control postharvest root rots in ginseng and gray mold disease in strawberry.