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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microbiotechnology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1522136

Bacillus Velezensis CNPMS-22 AS BIOCONTROL AGENT OF PATHOGENIC FUNGI AND PLANT GROWTH PROMOTER

Provisionally accepted
José Edson Fontes Figueiredo José Edson Fontes Figueiredo 1,2*Gisele Diniz Gisele Diniz 3*Mikaely Sousa Marins Mikaely Sousa Marins 2,3Felipe Campos Silva Felipe Campos Silva 4Vitoria Palhares Ribeiro Vitoria Palhares Ribeiro 3Fabrício Eustáquio Lanza Fabrício Eustáquio Lanza 5Christiane Abreu de Oliveira Paiva Christiane Abreu de Oliveira Paiva 3Valter Cruz Magalhães Valter Cruz Magalhães 6*
  • 1 Molecular Biochemstry Laboratory, Embrapa Maize and Sorghum, Sete Lagoas, Brazil
  • 2 Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA), Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
  • 3 Soil Microbiology Laboratory, Embrapa Maize and Sorghum, Sete Lagoas, Brazil
  • 4 Microbiology, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
  • 5 Laboratory of Phytopathology, Embrapa Maize and Sorghum, Sete Lagoas, Brazil
  • 6 Microbial Ecology Laboratory, Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA), Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    This study tested the antagonist activity of Bacillus velezensis CNPMS-22 against ten phytopathogenic fungi. The in vitro dual culture assay (DCP) showed a significant reduction of the mycelial growth of all fungi tested, ranging from 54.38% (Fusarium verticillioides) to 76.19% (Stenocarpella maydis). In the inverted sealed plate assay (ISP), the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) reduced the mycelial biomass of all fungi tested, with inhibition rates ranging from 80% (Macrophomina phaseolina and S. maydis) to 97.60% (Aspergillus ochraceus). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed CNPMS-22 and biofilm-associated with twisted, wrinkled, and ruptured hyphae of F. verticillioides. Tests in vitro demonstrated that CNPMS-22 has a high capacity to produce biofilm and exopolysaccharides associated with biofilm formation. In the Greenhouse, plant survival was 34.37% in soil infested with F. verticillioides. Conversely, seeds treated with fungicide or CNPMS-22 prevented the development of fungal disease symptoms, augmented plant survival rates to 87.5%, and significantly improved the plants' health and growth. In the field, the maize productivity of two treatments, seeds inoculated with F. verticillioides + CNPMS-22 and fungicide Fludioxonil + Metalaxyl-M, did not differ statistically. However, they were significantly higher than the two controls, consisting of seeds non-inoculated and inoculated with F. verticillioides. Finally, the genome sequencing and mining of CNPMS-22 revealed the existence of ribosomal and nonribosomal genes with antifungal activity, biofilm formation, root colonization, and plant growth promoters. These findings underscore the promising potential of CNPMS-22 as a biofungicide and plant growth promoter with valuable implications for sustainable and productive agriculture.

    Keywords: phytopathogenic fungi, Biofungicide, Maize yield, Genome sequencing, Bioinoculants

    Received: 04 Nov 2024; Accepted: 10 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Figueiredo, Diniz, Marins, Silva, Ribeiro, Lanza, Paiva and Magalhães. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    José Edson Fontes Figueiredo, Molecular Biochemstry Laboratory, Embrapa Maize and Sorghum, Sete Lagoas, Brazil
    Gisele Diniz, Soil Microbiology Laboratory, Embrapa Maize and Sorghum, Sete Lagoas, Brazil
    Valter Cruz Magalhães, Microbial Ecology Laboratory, Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA), Brasília, 70770-901, Distrito Federal, Brazil

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.