Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria as Biological Control Agent in Rice

The use of agrochemical products to combat diseases in crops has adverse effects on the environment and human health. Plant growth promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR) has been increasingly proposed as an eco-friendly alternative in agriculture. PGPRs have beneficial effects not only in promoting plant growth but also have shown their potential as biological control agent, being able to inhibit plant pathogens. Here, we investigated the use of PGPR Paraburkholderia sp. strain SOS3 to provide disease protection in rice (Oryza sativa L.). The antagonistic activity of SOS3 against five fungal pathogens of rice was assessed by dual culture on plates and on rice seedlings. The results showed that on plate assay, SOS3 inhibits the growth of Curvularia lunata, Rhizoctonia solani, Pyricularia oryzae, Helminthosporium oryzae, and Fusarium moniliforme by 17.2%, 1.1%, 8.3%, 32.5%, and 35.4%, respectively. When inoculated on rice seeds, SOS3 promotes seed germination and significantly reduces disease symptoms in plants infected with R. solani. These results suggest that SOS3 has a great potential to be used in rice agriculture to combat the “Sheath Blight” disease.