To asses the potential of fifty three isolates of endophytic bacteria on the control of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst) in tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.), several screening were done in greenhouse followed by in vitro studies on antagonism of those isolates to Pst. The inoculation of endophytic bacteria was done by microbiolization of tomato cv Santa Clara seeds. The challenging bacterium (Pst) inoculation was done by spraying. At 7, 14 and 21 days after Pst inoculation the assessment of bacterial speck severity was done, and height of plants was also measured. The most efficient endophytic species and isolates in reducing disease severity were: Acinetobacter johnsonii (isolate 10), Bacillus pumilus (isolates, 3, 12, 20, 39, 51), Paenibacillus macerans (isolates, 37, 47), PIM 11, Bacillus sphaericus (isolate 45), B. amyloliquefaciens (isolate 50), TOM 2 , TOM 24 and Staphylococcus aureus (isolate 18). More than 50% of the endophytic isolates efficient in reducing disease severity belonged to Bacillus pumilus. From the most efficient endophytic species group, the species Bacillus pumilus and B. amyloliquefaciens inhibited the Pst growth in vitro. Several bacterial isolates promoted growth of tomato.
Endophytic bacteria; biological control; bacterial speck; tomato
