Evaluation of 1021Bp, a close relative of Pseudomonas eucalypticola, for potential of plant growth promotion, fungal pathogen suppression and boxwood blight control

Background: Pseudomonas eucalypticola, a new species of the P. fluorescens group that generates most Pseudomonas-based biocontrol agents, has not been found in any plants other than Eucalyptus dunnii leaves. Except for antagonism to the growth of a few fungi, its features in plant growth promotion and disease control have not been evaluated. Here, we identified a similar species of P. eucalypticola, 1021Bp, from endophyte cultures of healthy leaves of English boxwood (Buxus sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’) and investigated its antifungal activity, plant growth promotion traits, and potential for boxwood blight control.

Results: Colorimetric or plate assays showed the properties of 1021Bp in nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, and production of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and siderophores, as well as the growth suppression of all five plant fungal pathogens, including causal agents of widespread plant diseases, gray mold, and anthracnose. Boxwood plant leaves received 87.4% and 65.8% protection from infection when sprayed with cell-free cultural supernatant (CFS) but not the resuspended bacterial cells at 108–9/mL of 1021Bp at one and seven days before inoculation (dbi) with boxwood blight pathogen, Calonectria pseudonaviculata, at 5 × 104 spores/mL. They also received similarly high protection with the 1021Bp cell culture without separation of cells and CFS at 14 dbi (67.5%), suggesting a key role of 1021Bp metabolites in disease control.

Conclusions: Given the features of plant growth and health and its similarity to P. eucalypticola with the P. fluorescens lineage, 1021Bp has great potential to be developed as a safe and environmentally friendly biofungicide and biofertilizer. However, its metabolites are the major contributors to 1021Bp activity for plant growth and health. Application with the bacterial cells alone, especially with nonionic surfactants, may result in poor performance unless survival conditions are present.