<i>In vitro</i> inhibition of plant pathogens by <i>Bacillus subtilis</i> and <i>Enterobacter aerogenes</i> and <i>in vivo</i> control of two postharvest cherry diseases

Abstract

Twenty-one isolates of the bacterium Bacillus subtilis and one of Enterobacter aerogenes were tested on agar for antagonism to Alternaria alternata, Armillariella mellea, Botrytis allii, Botrytis cinerea, Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, Monilinia fructicola, Penicillium expansum, Phytophthora cactorum, Pythium ultimum, Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Sclerotium cepivorum, Verticillium dahliae, and Venturia inequalis, causal organisms of many plant diseases. Enterobacter aerogenes was antagonisic to all of the pathogenic fungi tested except Verticillium dahliae and Armillariella mellea. Similarly, Bacillus subtilis was antagonistic to all of the pathogenic fungi tested except Pythium ultimum. When Enterobacter aerogenes and Bacillus subtilis were tested in vivo on cherry fruit for control of postharvest brown rot and alternaria rot, Enterobacter aerogenes was ineffective. Eleven isolates of Bacillus subtilis provided effective alternaria rot control and 15 isolates provided brown rot control which ranked with the best fungicide control.