Isolation and development of Bacillus subtilis S1-0210 as a biocontrol agent of gray mold of strawberry

Antagonistic effect of bacterial strains isolated from phylloplane of strawberry plants grown In greenhouse was tested on Botrytis cinerea Among the promising bacterial strains, Bacillus sp. S1-0210 showed highest inhibition of mycelial growth of B. cinerea and a broad spectrum of antifungal activities against many plant pathogenic fungi in vitro. Bacillus sp. S1-0210 was identified as Bacillus subtilis based on the analysis of 185 rDNA as well as its biochemical characteristics. Application of wettable powder formulation of B. subtiiis S1-0210 significantly reduced the incidence of gray mold on trawberry fruits during storage. Results showed that treatment of B. subtilis S1-0210 decreased the incidence of gray mold by 4.8％ whereas the incidence in control was 77.9％, indicating that the formulation of B. subtilis S1-0210 will be practically applied on strawberry fruits as a biocontrol agent of gray mold during storage.