| Crop | Soybean |
|---|---|
| Start Date | 2014 |
| End Date | 2017 |
| Principal Investigator | Daayf, Fouad , University of Manitoba |
| MPSG Financial Support | $105,000 |
| Total Project Funding | $255,000 |
| Report | Extension Report – Dec. 2016 |
Research Objectives
Identify and evaluate biocontrol agents of root rot pathogens
Project Description
Root rot diseases, caused by several pathogens including Phytophthora sojae, Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium sp., are a major disease of soybeans in Manitoba. The long-term objective of this research is to provide pulse growers in the Prairies with alternative strategies that would help reduce the impact of root rot diseases in this crop in a sustainable and economic manner. A total of 100 bacterial isolates were collected from soil samples and healthy soybean plants from healthy soybean fields in Manitoba. Laboratory and greenhouse experiments were conducted to evaluate potential effectiveness of these bacteria for the suppression or reduction of root rots. In a preliminary screening, five bacterial isolates exhibited a strong inhibition of radial mycelial growth of the tested pathogens. These bacteria were selected for characterization on the basis of auxin, ammonia, and siderophore production, as well as phosphate solubilisation and rep-PCR genomic fingerprinting. Â These bacteria were further evaluated for their beneficial effects in planta against root rot pathogens, either alone or in combination with other products that we had tested in other crops (Phosphite, chitosan, CMV). Interestingly, damage severity on soybean roots was significantly reduced by treatment with the tested bacterial isolates. The greatest reduction in disease severity was achieved when isolate S11 was combined with phosphite, reducing the disease severity index to 1. The effect of bacteria with chitosan treatment against Rhizoctonia solani was also assessed and the greatest reduction in disease severity were achieved when strain S10 was applied alone or when strain S11 was combined with chitosan.