Biocontrol Potential of Bacillus subtilis A3 Against Corn Stalk Rot and Its Impact on Root-Associated Microbial Communities

作者：Liming Wang, Shiqi Jia, Yue Du, Hongzhe Cao, Kang Zhang, Jihong Xing, Jingao Dong · 发表于：Agronomy · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.3390/agronomy15030706 · 被引用次数：8 · 研究领域：Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity、Plant Disease Management Techniques、Nematode management and characterization studies

Fusarium stalk rot (FSR), a devastating soil-borne disease caused by Fusarium species, severely threatens global maize production through yield losses and mycotoxin contamination. Bacillus subtilis, a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR), has shown potential as a biocontrol agent against soil-borne pathogens, but its efficacy and mechanisms against maize FSR remain poorly understood. In this study, an identified strain of B. subtilis A3 was introduced to study its biological control potential against corn stalk rot. The bacteriostatic stability of the biocontrol strain was assessed, revealing that its inhibitory activity against F. graminearum remained consistent over five consecutive generations, indicating robust bacteriostatic stability. The strain also exhibited inhibitory effects on F. verticilliodes, F. proliferalum, and other pathogenic fungi, demonstrating it has broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. Indoor experiments showed that treatment with the biocontrol strain significantly increased plant height, stem diameter, and fresh weight, indicating a positive impact on corn growth. Additionally, the biocontrol strain A3 markedly reduced the lesion length of corn stalk rot, confirming its efficacy in controlling the disease. Field trials demonstrated that the growth of the A3-coated corn seeds was better than the control seeds, the control effect of FSR disease was 45.75%, and the yield increase was 3.6%. Microscopic observations revealed that the biocontrol st...