Identification of endophytic bacterial strain MGP1 selected from papaya and its biocontrol effects on pathogens infecting harvested papaya fruit.
BACKGROUND
Traditional approaches to the control of diseases of papaya fruit rely on the use of synthetic chemicals, which can cause serious human health and environmental problems. Endophytes might be used as an alternative to chemicals to effectively control diseases of harvested papaya fruit.


RESULTS
MGP1 was one of the biological control agents that was selected from the pericarp of papaya and identified as Pseudomonas putida biovar A. The bacterium was able to colonise in the lamina, leafstalk, pericarp and pulp of papaya and strongly inhibit ten kinds of phytopathogen. Positive control effects were achieved when fruits were challenged with Phytophthora nicotianae at 24 and 48 h after MGP1 treatment. The control effect of MGP1 on anthracnose of harvested papaya fruit reached 54%. The application of MGP1 at five preharvest stages of papaya significantly reduced the disease index of anthracnose, with the best control effect reaching 63% after application at the florescence stage. However, the rate of latent infection of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides was significantly reduced only after application at the fluorescence stage.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicated the powerful ability of MGP1 as a biological agent.
Shi
Jingying
J
College of Food Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, China.
Liu
Aiyuan
A
Li
Xueping
X
Feng
Shujie
S
Chen
Weixin
W
D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods; D000898:Antibiosis; D029441:Carica / Q000382:microbiology*; D020231:Colletotrichum; D005453:Fluorescence; D005638:Fruit / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D010572:Pest Control, Biological / Q000379:methods*; D010838:Phytophthora; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D016958:Pseudomonas putida / Q000302:isolation & purification*