Akife Dalda-Sekerci, Emel Unlu, Semih Yilmaz
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Bio-Agents, Ornamental plant, PGPR
Kalanchoe is a perennial succulent plant belonging to the Crassulaceae family and is highly susceptible to various pathogens, particularly fungal and bacterial diseases. Among these, anthracnose is one of the most prevalent disease factors affecting Kalanchoe. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a bioformulation containing four plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) strains—Bacillus subtilis (61.29e and 3.3a) and Bacillus thuringiensis (2B3-1 and 2B2-2)—in controlling anthracnose disease. PGPR solutions were prepared at two concentrations (3×10⁸ and 3×10³ CFU/mL), and six treatment groups were established by foliar spraying on the plants: (1) application of diluted bacterial solution (3×10³ CFU/mL) four days after anthracnose inoculation, (2) full-dose bacterial solution (3×10⁸ CFU/mL) applied four days after inoculation, (3) repeated full-dose application at four-day intervals post-inoculation, (4) culture medium application four days after inoculation, (5) bacterial application followed by anthracnose inoculation after four days, and (6) control group with anthracnose inoculation only. The results demonstrated that the application of PGPR prior to disease inoculation was the most effective strategy in reducing disease symptoms. This was followed by the application of the full-dose bacterial solution post-inoculation. In contrast, application of the diluted solution after infection showed higher disease incidence. Nevertheless, all PGPR treatments, whether applied before or after infection, significantly outperformed the control and culture medium treatments in suppressing anthracnose. These findings highlight the potential of Bacillus spp. based PGPR formulations as promising biological control agents for anthracnose management in ornamental plants, contributing to the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly plant disease management strategies.
Cite this paper: Dalda-Sekerci, A., Unlu, E., Yilmaz, S. (2025). INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECT OF Bacillus subtilis AND Bacillus thuringiensis AS BIO-AGENTS ON ANTHRACNOSE (Colletotrichum spp.) DISEASE IN KALANCHOE. Current Trends in Natural Sciences, 14(27), 126-135. https://doi.org/10.47068/ctns.2025.v14i27.015
