| Popis: |
Soil-borne diseases are responsible for major crop losses worldwide. Alternatives to the use of synthetic chemicals for disease control are increasingly being sought due to among other reasons, the detrimental effects of these compounds on the environment. In this chapter, biological control of soil-borne plant diseases by means of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) is reviewed with emphasis on cereals. The concepts and definitions of PGPR, biocontrol agents, biopesticides, biofertilizers, and soil inoculants are discussed and overlap between these categories are illustrated. Advantages and disadvantages of the use of PGPR as biocontrol agents are mentioned. Biocontrol of soil-borne diseases of crops is discussed and illustrated by means of specific examples of effective application of growth promoting rhizobacteria for control of soil-borne pathogens on cereals such as wheat and sorghum. The modes of action of PGPR with biocontrol activity is discussed with reference to the production of antibiotics, siderophores, and cell wall degrading enzymes as well as induction of systemic resistance, root colonization efficacy, and rhizosphere competence. |
