Wheat seeds harbour bacterial endophytes with potential as plantgrowth promoters and biocontrol agents of Fusarium graminearum

DÍAZ HERRERA S.; GROSSI C.; ZAWOZNIK M.S.; GROPPA M.D.

MICROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH

ELSEVIER GMBH

Año: 2016 vol. 186 p. 37 - 43

0944-5013

The role of endophytic communities of seeds is still poorly characterised. The purpose of this work wasto survey the presence of bacterial endophytes in the seeds of a commercial wheat cultivar widely sownin Argentina and to look for plant growth promotion features and biocontrol abilities against Fusariumgraminearum among them. Six isolates were obtained from wheat seeds following a culture-dependentprotocol. Four isolates were assignated to Paenibacillus genus according to their 16S rRNA sequencing. Theonly gammaproteobacteria isolated, presumably an Enterobactereaceae of Pantoea genus, was particularlyactive as IAA and siderophore producer, and also solubilised phosphate and was the only one that grewon N-free medium. Several of these isolates demonstrated ability to restrain F. graminearum growth ondual culture and in a bioassay using barley and wheat kernels. An outstanding ability to form biofilmon an inert surface was corroborated for those Paenibacillus which displayed greater biocontrol of F.graminearum, and the inoculation with one of these isolates in combination with the Pantoea isolateresulted in greater chlorophyll content in barley seedlings. Our results show a significant ecologicalpotential of some components of the wheat seed endophytic community.