Search

The beneficial plant-microbe interactions play crucial roles in protection against large number of plant pathogens causing disease. The present study aims to investigate the growth promoting traits induced by beneficial microbes namely Pseudomonas aeruginosa PJHU15, Trichoderma harzianum TNHU27, and Bacillus subtilis BHHU100 treated singly and in combinations under greenhouse and field conditions to control Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Plants treated with three microbe consortium enhanced plant growth maximally both in the presence and absence of the pathogen. Increase in plant length, total biomass, number of leaves, nodules and secondary roots, total chlorophyll and carotenoid content, and yield were recorded in plants treated with microbial consortia. Also, a decrease in plant mortality was observed in plants treated with microbial consortia in comparison to untreated control plants challenged with S. sclerotiorum. Furthermore, the decrease in disease of all the treatments can be associated with differential improvement of growth induced in pea.

Oxalic acid (OA) is an important pathogenic factor during early Sclerotinia sclerotiorum-host interaction and might work by reducing hydrogen peroxide production (H2 O2 ). In the present investigation, oxalic acid-induced cell death in pea was studied. Pea plants treated with biocontrol agents (BCAs) viz., Pseudomonas aeruginosa PJHU15, Bacillus subtilis BHHU100, and Trichoderma harzianum TNHU27 either singly and/or in consortium acted on S. sclerotiorum indirectly by enabling plants to inhibit the OA-mediated suppression of oxidative burst via induction of H2 O2 . Our results showed that BCA treated plants upon treatment with culture filtrate of the pathogen, conferred the resistance via. significantly decreasing relative cell death of pea against S. sclerotiorum compared to control plants without BCA treatment but treated with the culture filtrate of the pathogen. The results obtained from the present study indicate that the microbes especially in consortia play significant role in protection against S. sclerotiorum by modulating oxidative burst and partially enhancing tolerance by increasing the H2 O2 generation, which is otherwise suppressed by OA produced by the pathogen.

Oxalic acid (OA) is an important pathogenic factor during early Sclerotinia sclerotiorum-host interaction and might work by reducing hydrogen peroxide production (H2 O2 ). In the present investigation, oxalic acid-induced cell death in pea was studied. Pea plants treated with biocontrol agents (BCAs) viz., Pseudomonas aeruginosa PJHU15, Bacillus subtilis BHHU100, and Trichoderma harzianum TNHU27 either singly and/or in consortium acted on S. sclerotiorum indirectly by enabling plants to inhibit the OA-mediated suppression of oxidative burst via induction of H2 O2 . Our results showed that BCA treated plants upon treatment with culture filtrate of the pathogen, conferred the resistance via. significantly decreasing relative cell death of pea against S. sclerotiorum compared to control plants without BCA treatment but treated with the culture filtrate of the pathogen. The results obtained from the present study indicate that the microbes especially in consortia play significant role in protection against S. sclerotiorum by modulating oxidative burst and partially enhancing tolerance by increasing the H2 O2 generation, which is otherwise suppressed by OA produced by the pathogen.