Abstract
Fusarium stalk rot (FSR), a devastating soil-borne disease caused by Fusarium species, severely threatens global maize production through yield losses and mycotoxin contamination. Bacillus subtilis, a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR), has shown potential as a biocontrol agent against soil-borne pathogens, but its efficacy and mechanisms against maize FSR remain poorly understood. In this study, an identified strain of B. subtilis A3 was introduced to study its biological control potential against corn stalk rot. The bacteriostatic stability of the biocontrol strain was assessed, revealing that its inhibitory activity against F. graminearum remained consistent over five consecutive generations, indicating robust bacteriostatic stability. The strain also exhibited inhibitory effects on F. verticilliodes, F. proliferalum, and other pathogenic fungi, demonstrating it has broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. Indoor experiments showed that treatment with the biocontrol strain significantly increased plant height, stem diameter, and fresh weight, indicating a positive impact on corn growth. Additionally, the biocontrol strain A3 markedly reduced the lesion length of corn stalk rot, confirming its efficacy in controlling the disease. Field trials demonstrated that the growth of the A3-coated corn seeds was better than the control seeds, the control effect of FSR disease was 45.75%, and the yield increase was 3.6%. Microscopic observations revealed that the biocontrol strain A3 caused the hyphal tips of F. graminearum to swell and exhibit a beaded morphology, inhibiting normal growth. The volatile substances produced by A3 also showed significant antibacterial activity, with the antibacterial spectrum aligning with that of the biocontrol strain. Using headspace solid-phase microextraction and GC-MS, various antibacterial compounds were identified in the volatile substances. Analysis of root-associated microorganisms indicated that A3 significantly changed the microbial community composition. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed that A3-treated plants had fewer edges and lower negative correlations among bacterial communities. This study establishes the strong biocontrol potential of B. subtilis A3 against Fusarium stalk rot in corn, demonstrating its robust bacteriostatic stability, broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, positive impact on plant growth, and significant disease control efficacy, while also revealing its ability to alter root-associated microbial communities. These findings provide a foundation for further research into the mechanism of B. subtilis and its application in field biological control.
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Claims 13
Claim · model-written summary
A3 inhibition of F. graminearum remained stable for five generations.
- Taxon
- F. graminearum
_on_Corn_(Zea_mays)_at_Waimea%2C_Hawaii.jpg?width=60)
Fusarium graminearume0 - Outcome
- inhibitory activitye0
- Direction
- remained consistente0
- Value
- five consecutive generationse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_on_Corn_(Zea_mays)_at_Waimea%2C_Hawaii.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“its inhibitory activity against F. graminearum remained consistent over five consecutive generations”
Claim · model-written summary
A3 inhibited F. verticilliodes.
Verbatim
e0“The strain also exhibited inhibitory effects on F. verticilliodes, F. proliferalum”
Claim · model-written summary
A3 inhibited F. proliferalum.
Verbatim
e0“The strain also exhibited inhibitory effects on F. verticilliodes, F. proliferalum”
Claim · model-written summary
A3 treatment significantly increased corn height, stem diameter and fresh weight indoors.
- Taxon
- Corn
Zea mays subsp. mayst0 - Treatment
- treatment with the biocontrol straine0
- Outcome
- plant height, stem diameter, and fresh weighte0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“treatment with the biocontrol strain significantly increased plant height, stem diameter, and fresh weight”
t0“Corn”
Claim · model-written summary
A3 reduced corn stalk rot lesion length.
- Taxon
- cornZea mays subsp. mayse0
- Treatment
- biocontrol strain A3e0
- Interactor
- corn stalk rote0pathogen
- Outcome
- lesion lengthe0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the biocontrol strain A3 markedly reduced the lesion length of corn stalk rot”
Claim · model-written summary
A3-coated corn seeds grew better than control seeds in field trials.
- Taxon
- cornZea mays subsp. mayse0
- Treatment
- A3-coatede0
- Outcome
- growthe0
- Direction
- bettere0
- Comparator
- control seedse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“growth of the A3-coated corn seeds was better than the control seeds”
Claim · model-written summary
A3 provided 45.75% control of Fusarium stalk rot in the field.
- Taxon
- CornZea mays subsp. mayst0
- Treatment
- Bacillus subtilis A3t0
- Outcome
- control effect of FSR diseasee0
- Value
- 45.75%e0
FusariumNot reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the control effect of FSR disease was 45.75%”
e1“Fusarium stalk rot (FSR), a devastating soil-borne disease caused by Fusarium species”
t0“Biocontrol Potential of Bacillus subtilis A3 Against Corn Stalk Rot”
Claim · model-written summary
A3 increased corn yield by 3.6% in field trials.
- Taxon
- CornZea mays subsp. mayst0
- Treatment
- Bacillus subtilis A3t0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Value
- 3.6%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the yield increase was 3.6%”
t0“Biocontrol Potential of Bacillus subtilis A3 Against Corn Stalk Rot”
Claim · model-written summary
A3 induced swollen, beaded F. graminearum hyphal tips and inhibited growth.
- Taxon
- F. graminearumFusarium graminearume0
- Outcome
- hyphal tipse0
- Qualifier
- beaded morphologye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“biocontrol strain A3 caused the hyphal tips of F. graminearum to swell and exhibit a beaded morphology, inhibiting normal growth”
Claim · model-written summary
A3 volatiles showed significant antibacterial activity.
Verbatim
e0“The volatile substances produced by A3 also showed significant antibacterial activity”
Claim · model-written summary
Antibacterial compounds were identified among A3 volatiles.
- Taxon
- Bacillus subtilis A3
Bacillus subtilist0 - Outcome
- antibacterial compoundse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“various antibacterial compounds were identified in the volatile substances”
t0“Bacillus subtilis A3”
Claim · model-written summary
A3 significantly changed root-associated microbial community composition.
- Taxon
- CornZea mays subsp. mayst0
- Treatment
- A3e0
- Outcome
- microbial community compositione0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“A3 significantly changed the microbial community composition”
t0“Corn”
Claim · model-written summary
A3-treated plants had fewer bacterial network edges and lower negative correlations.
- Taxon
- CornZea mays subsp. mayst0
- Outcome
- edges and lower negative correlationse0
- Direction
- fewere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“A3-treated plants had fewer edges and lower negative correlations among bacterial communities”
t0“Corn”
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