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  • Nanoparticles and biochar with adsorbed plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria alleviate Fusarium wilt damage on tomato and watermelon
Title: Nanoparticles and biochar with adsorbed plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria alleviate Fusarium wilt damage on tomato and watermelon
The addition of biochars and nanoparticles with adsorbed Azotobacter vinelandii and Bacillus megaterium alleviated damage from Fusarium infection in both tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) plants. Tomato and watermelon plants were grown in greenhouse for 28 and 30 days (respectively) and were treated with either nanoparticles (chitosan-coated mesoporous silica or nanoclay) or varying biochars (biochar produced by pyrolysis, gasification and pyrogasification). Treatments with nanoparticles and biochars were applied in two variants – with or without adsorbed plant-growth promoting bacteria (PGPR). Chitosan-coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles with adsorbed bacteria increased chlorophyll content in infected tomato and watermelon plants (1.12 times and 1.63 times, respectively) to a greater extent than nanoclay with adsorbed bacteria (1.10 times and 1.38 times, respectively). However, the impact on other endpoints (viability of plant cells, phosphorus and nitrogen content, as well antioxidative status) was species-specific. In all cases, plants treated with adsorbed bacteria responded better than plants without bacteria. For example, the content of antioxidative compounds in diseased watermelon plants increased nearly 46% upon addition of Aries biochar and by approximately 52% upon addition of Aries biochar with adsorbed bacteria. The overall effect on disease suppression was due to combination of the antifungal effects of both nanoparticles (and biochars) and plant-growth promoting bacteria. These findings suggest that nanoparticles or biochars with adsorbed PGPR could be viewed as a novel and sustainable solution for management of Fusarium wilt.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2001611
PAR ID:
10473338
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
Elsevier
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Plant Physiology and Biochemistry
Volume:
203
Issue:
C
ISSN:
0981-9428
Page Range / eLocation ID:
108052
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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