Synergistic Effect of Combined Application of a New Fungicide Fluopimomide with a Biocontrol Agent Bacillus methylotrophicus TA-1 for Management of Gray Mold in Tomato

Abstract

Gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea can be a severe disease of tomato infecting leaves and fruits of tomato plants. Chemical control is currently the most effective and reliable method; however, application of fungicides has many drawbacks. The combination of biological control agents with newly developed fungicides may be a practicable method to control B. cinerea. Fluopimomide is a newly developed fungicide with a novel mode of action. Bacillus methylotrophicus TA-1, isolated from rhizosphere soil of tomato, is a bacterial strain with a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activities. Little information is currently available about the effect of fluopimomide and its integrated effect on B. cinerea. Therefore, laboratory, pot, and field experiments were carried out to determine the effects of fluopimomide alone and in combination with B. methylotrophicus TA-1 against gray mold on tomato. The in vitro growth of B. methylotrophicus TA-1 was unaffected by 100 mg liter−1 fluopimomide. Inhibition of B. cinerea mycelial growth was significantly increased under combined treatment of fluopimomide and B. methylotrophicus TA-1. In greenhouse experiments, efficacy against gray mold was significantly greater by an integration of fluopimomide and B. methylotrophicus TA-1 than by either alone; control efficacy of fluopimomide at 50 and 100 g ha−1 in combination with B. methylotrophicus TA-1 at 108 colony-forming units (cfu) ml−1 reached 70.16 and 69.32%, respectively, compared with the untreated control. In both field trials during 2017 and 2018, control efficacy was significantly higher for the combination of fluopimomide at 50 and 100 g ha−1 in combination with B. methylotrophicus TA-1 than for either treatment alone. The results from this study indicated that integration of the new fungicide fluopimomide with the biocontrol agent B. methylotrophicus TA-1 synergistically increased control efficacy of the fungicide against gray mold of tomato.

Combination effects of tebuconazole with Bacillus subtilis to control rice false smut and the related synergistic mechanism

“…Compatibility is considered a prerequisite for the combination of a BCA with chemicals. In most published related works, chemicals stimulated the growth of BCA or at least showed no inhibitory effect 14–17,38 . In this study, the circumstances were more complicated.…”

“…In most published related works, chemicals stimulated the growth of BCA or at least showed no inhibitory effect. [14][15][16][17]38 In this study, the circumstances were more complicated. Tebuconazole could inhibit B. subtilis so much that growth could not be detected at a tebuconazole concentration of more than 50 mg L −1 .…”

Use of Lentinan and Fluopimomide to Control Cotton Seedling Damping-Off Disease Caused by Rhizoctonia solani

“…Most biological pesticides are low-toxic or slightly toxic, they are easy to decompose, will not cause pollution to agricultural products and can effectively guarantee the quality and safety of agricultural products. Fluopimomide is more effective in controlling plant diseases compared to fuopi-colide [49,50]. In vivo tests, the EC 50 values of fluopimomide against R. solani were lower than fuopicolide.…”

RNA-Seq Provides Insights into the Mechanisms Underlying Ilyonectria robusta Responding to Secondary Metabolites of Bacillus methylotrophicus NJ13

“…has been extensively studied for biological control of phytopathogenic fungi over the decades [ 88 , 89 , 90 ]. At the same time, with the deepening of research, the biological control effect of B. methylotrophicus has also been reported [ 91 , 92 , 93 ]. In the Figure 5 , the effects of B. methylotrophicus NJ13 on ginseng rusty root rot were showed in an in vivo experiment, which provided a good potential for application of B. methylotrophicus NJ13.…”