title: Microbial inoculants for the biocontrol of Fusarium spp. in durum wheat.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a severe disease caused by different Fusarium species, which affects a wide range of cereal crops, including wheat. It determines from 10 to 30% of yield loss in Europe. Chemical fungicides are mainly used to reduce the incidence of FHB, but low environmental impact solutions are looked forward. Applications of soil/rhizobacteria as biocontrol agents against FHB in wheat are described in literature, whereas the potential use of lactobacilli in agriculture has scarcely been explored.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The aim of this work was to study the inhibitory effect of two bacterial strains, Lactobacillus plantarum SLG17 and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FLN13, against Fusarium spp. in vitro and to assess their efficacy in field, coupled to the study of the microbial community profile of wheat seeds. Antimicrobial assays were performed on agar plates and showed that the two antagonistic strains possessed antimicrobial activity against Fusarium spp. In the field study, a mixture of the two strains was applied to durum wheat i) weekly from heading until anthesis and ii) at flowering, compared to untreated and fungicide treated plots. The FHB index, combining both disease incidence and disease severity, was used to evaluate the extent of the disease on wheat. A mixture of the two microorganisms, when applied in field from heading until anthesis, was capable of reducing the FHB index. Microbial community profile of seeds was studied via PCR-DGGE, showing the presence of L. plantarum SLG17 in wheat seeds and thus underlining an endophytic behavior of the strain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  L. plantarum SLG17 and B. amyloliquefaciens FLN13, applied as biocontrol agents starting from the heading period until anthesis of wheat plants, are promising agents for the reduction of FHB index.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, 40127, Bologna, Italy. loredana.baffoni@unibo.it.
authors.forename: Loredana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baffoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, 40127, Bologna, Italy. francesca.gaggia@unibo.it.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gaggia
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Tirana University, Bulevardi Zogu i Parë, Tirana, Albania. nereida.dalanaj@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Nereida
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dalanaj
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, 40127, Bologna, Italy. antonio.prodi@unibo.it.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prodi
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, 40127, Bologna, Italy. paola.nipoti@unibo.it.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nipoti
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, 40127, Bologna, Italy. annamaria.pisi@unibo.it.
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pisi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Earth Systems, Division of Rural Sciences & Food Systems, University of Malta, Msida, Malta. bbiav01@um.edu.mt.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Biavati
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, 40127, Bologna, Italy. diana.digioia@unibo.it.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Di Gioia
mesh_terms: D059827:Agricultural Inoculants / Q000502:physiology; D000898:Antibiosis; D001407:Bacillus / Q000502:physiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D058645:Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis; D005670:Fusarium / Q000254:growth & development*; D048191:Lactiplantibacillus plantarum / Q000502:physiology*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010572:Pest Control, Biological / Q000379:methods*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014908:Triticum / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S