New bacterial strains show promise for biocontrol of tomato diseases

Modern agriculture is highly reliant on chemicals, but their environmental and health impacts have pushed researchers to explore safer, more sustainable alternatives. Using bacterial strains that can promote plant growth, enhance nutrient uptake, and protect plants from diseases is a promising alternativ to chemicals.

Both growth promotion and disease supression

In a new study by researchers from SLU and Italy, bacterial strains were isolated from the microbiome of tomatoes. Both the genomic characteristics of these strains and their possible application as eco-friendly bioinoculants in agriculture were investigated.

– The selected bacterial strains in our study were not only effective in promoting tomato plant growth but also significantly reduced the severity of Fusarium crown and root rot, as well as bacterial spot infections in tomato plants, says SLU researcher Ramesh Vetukuri, one of the researchers behind the study.

– By using a microbiome-guided approach we ensure that we are selecting strains with real-world application potential. These strains could also be very useful in other crops than tomato, says Daniele Nicotra from the University of Catania, the study’s first author.

Promising biocontrol agents

 These strains include both commonly used biofertilizers, like bacteria from the genera Pseudomonas and Bacillus, and less studied genera such as Leclercia and Paenarthrobacter.

– We think that by focusing on microbial communities that occur naturally in plants, we can can enhance agricultural productivity while reducing the environmental footprint of farming, concludes Vittoria Catara from the University of Catania who led the study.