The Use of Interactions Between Microorganisms in Strawberry Cultivation (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.)

Abstract

As the market indicates a growing interest in organically grown fruit, there is a need for biostimulants to counter the adverse effects of pathogenic fungi and fungal-like-pathogens. Four microbial pathogens (Botrytis cinerea, Verticillium sp., Phytophthora sp., and Colletotrichum sp.) which are the most often causes of strawberry diseases were selected. Five kinds of biostimulants (C1, C2, C3, C4, and C5) containing bacterial consortia were developed to combat the pathogens. The antagonistic effect of selected microorganisms against strawberry pathogens was observed. The effectiveness of various beneficial bacteria in combating fungal pathogens of cv. Honeoye strawberries was compared and the impact of their activity on fruit quality was assessed. The most significant effect on the strawberry firmness was found for the C2 consortium, which provided the strawberries infected with the pathogens group (MIX: B. cinerea, Verticillium sp., Phytophthora sp., and Colletotrichum sp.) with a 140% increase in maximum load in a puncture test compared to the positive control (C0). Strawberries contaminated with Phytophthora sp. after the application of Consortium C4 (C4) showed the largest increase (127%) in soluble solid content (SSC) when compared to the C0. Fruit contaminated with Colletotrichum sp. and B. cinerea after the application of C2 and Consortium 5 (C5), respectively, had the highest levels of anthocyanins and total phenolic content, when compared to C0. The largest increase, which reached as high as 25%, in D-galacturonic acid content was observed for the group of pathogens after Consortium 1 (C1) application. The extraction of strawberry pectin allowed for the study of the rheological properties of pectin solutions; on this basis, strawberry pectin from the control (NC) was distinguished as it showed the highest viscosity (0.137–0.415 Pas). Taking into account the individual effects of bacteria on strawberry pathogenic fungi and fungal-like-pathogens, it is possible to reduce the adverse effects of fungal disease and to improve the properties of strawberries by selecting the appropriate bacterial consortium. Interactions between microorganisms are often complex and not fully understood, which suggests the need for further research in this direction.

Effects of multiple N, P, and K fertilizer combinations on strawberry growth and the microbial community

“…harmful pathogenic bacteria in the soil [55]. Our results demonstrate that optimal application of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium can lead to cost reduction and improvement in microbial community structure, ultimately enhancing the phenotypic traits of strawberries.…”

Comparative analysis of the microbiomes of strawberry wild species Fragaria nilgerrensis and cultivated variety Akihime using amplicon-based next-generation sequencing

“…In addition, the Rhodococcus fascians taxa (APS), which can cause strawberry cauliflower disease, was detected in the rhizosphere soil and root endosphere samples of Akihime (data not shown). At the genus level, the relative abundances of potential fungal pathogens in the genera including Fusarium ( Gwinn et al, 2022 ) , Botrytis ( Drobek et al, 2021 ) , Rhizoctonia ( Frąc et al, 2018 ; Pandit et al, 2022 ) , Dactylonectria ( Su et al, 2022 ) , Neopestalotiopsis ( Darapanit et al, 2021 ) , Colletotrichum ( Sangiorgio et al, 2022 ), and Cadophora ( Travadon et al, 2015 ) were different between the F. nilgerrensis and Akihime samples ( Figure 5 ). For the rhizosphere soil samples, the relative abundances of Fusarium, Botrytis, Neopestalotiopsis, Cadophora in F. nilgerrensis samples was significantly higher than those in Akihime samples ( p < 0.05) ( Figure 5D ).…”

“…A similar phenomenon was observed in strawberries. The relative abundances of potential fungal pathogens including Fusarium ( Frąc et al, 2018 ; Gwinn et al, 2022 ) , Botrytis ( Drobek et al, 2021 ; Pandit et al, 2022 ) , Rhizoctonia ( Frąc et al, 2018 ; Pandit et al, 2022 ) , Dactylonectria ( Su et al, 2022 ) , Cadophora ( Travadon et al, 2015 ), Neopestalotiopsis ( Darapanit et al, 2021 ), and Colletotrichum ( Drobek et al, 2021 ; Sangiorgio et al, 2022 ) were significantly higher in the rhizosphere soil and root endosphere samples of Akihime than those of F. nilgerrensis ( Figure 5 ). At the same time, a variety of fungal pathogen taxa were detected in the samples of Akihime with higher relative abundances than F. nilgerrensis , especially in the root endosphere samples.…”

Effect of microbial plant biostimulants on fruit and vegetable quality: current research lines and future perspectives

“…Drobek and colleagues hence investigated the antagonistic effect of selected bacterial consortia on four microbial pathogens (i.e., Botrytis cinerea , Verticillium sp., Phytophthora sp., and Colletotrichum sp.) causing strawberry diseases ( Drobek et al., 2021 ). The bacterial consortia applied comprised strains belonging to Peanibacillus polymyxa sp., B. subtilis , Bacillus sp., Streptomyces sp., Lysobacter sp., and Pseudomonas sp.…”