A Pictorial Illustration of the Inhibition of Mycelial Growth and Spore Germination of Various Sorghum Fungal Pathogens by a Bacillus species

Sorghum is one of the most indispensable cereals for food, fodder, and in brewery, especially in the drier tropics. Recently, sorghum is considered a potential source of biofuel. Globally, the productivity and profitability of sorghum is hampered by biotic stresses, causing anthracnose, grain mold, smuts, and downy mildew. In this study, a bacterium was observed growing on half-strength potato dextrose agar plate containing sorghum seeds. Using both plate and paper disc assays, activity of the determined Gram-positive Bacillus (called LP16S) was tested against four destructive sorghum pathogens Fusarium thapsinum, Colletotrichum sublineola, Curvularia lunata, and Bipolaris sp. Confirmatory in vitro analysis showed that LP16S was capable of inhibiting both mycelial growth and spore germination of these pathogens. Identification of the strain using 16S rDNA sequence analysis characterized LP16S as a putative Bacillus sp. Work is underway to determine the effectiveness of LP16S in suppressing sorghum diseases.

Author(s): Louis K. Prom, Enrique G. Medrano, Thomas Isakeit, Roxanne Jacobsen, and Robert Droleskey

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