• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.622-627
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• 2012

The processes to determine the composition, dynamics, and activity of infection mechanisms by the rhizosphere microflora have attracted the interest of scientists from multiple disciplines although considerable progress of the infection pathways and plant-pathogen interactions by soil borne fungal pathogens have been made. Soilborne pathogens are confined within a three-dimensional matrix of mineral soil particles, pores, organic matter in various stages of decomposition and a biological component. Among the physical and chemical properties of soils soil texture and matric water potential may be the two most important factors that determine spread exudates by soil borne fungal pathogens, based on the size of the soil pores. Pathogenic invasion of plant roots involves complex molecular mechanisms which occur in the diffuse interface between the root and the soil created by root exudates. The initial infection by soilborne pathogens can be caused by enzymes which breakdown cell wall layers to penetrate the plant cell wall for the fungus. However, the fate and mobility of the exudates are less well understood. Therefore, it needs to develop methods to control disease caused by enzymes produced by the soilborne pathogens by verifying many other possible pathways and mechanisms of infection processes occurring in soils.

• Mycobiology
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.269-293
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• 2022

Oomycete pathogens that belong to the genus Phytophthora cause devastating diseases in solanaceous crops such as pepper, potato, and tobacco, resulting in crop production losses worldwide. Although the application of fungicides efficiently controls these diseases, it has been shown to trigger negative side effects such as environmental pollution, phytotoxicity, and fungicide resistance in plant pathogens. Therefore, biological control of Phytophthora-induced diseases was proposed as an environmentally sound alternative to conventional chemical control. In this review, progress on biological control of the soilborne oomycete plant pathogens, Phytophthora capsici, Phytophthora infestans, and Phytophthora nicotianae, infecting pepper, potato, and tobacco is described. Bacterial (e.g., Acinetobacter, Bacillus, Chryseobacterium, Paenibacillus, Pseudomonas, and Streptomyces) and fungal (e.g., Trichoderma and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi) agents, and yeasts (e.g., Aureobasidium, Curvibasidium, and Metschnikowia) have been reported as successful biocontrol agents of Phytophthora pathogens. These microorganisms antagonize Phytophthora spp. via antimicrobial compounds with inhibitory activities against mycelial growth, sporulation, and zoospore germination. They also trigger plant immunity-inducing systemic resistance via several pathways, resulting in enhanced defense responses in their hosts. Along with plant protection, some of the microorganisms promote plant growth, thereby enhancing their beneficial relations with host plants. Although the beneficial effects of the biocontrol microorganisms are acceptable, single applications of antagonistic microorganisms tend to lack consistent efficacy compared with chemical analogues. Therefore, strategies to improve the biocontrol performance of these prominent antagonists are also discussed in this review.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.353-357
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• 2015

A new actinomycete strain NA4 was isolated from a deep-sea sediment collected from the South China Sea and showed promising antifungal activities against soilborne fungal pathogens. It was identified as Streptomyces cavourensis by morphological, physiological, and phylogenetic analyses based on its 16S rRNA gene sequence. The main antifungal components were isolated and identified from the fermentation culture as bafilomycins B1 and C1. These compounds exhibited significant antifungal activities and a broad antifungal spectrum. The results suggest that the Streptomyces cavourensis NA4 and bafilomycins B1 and C1 could be used as potential biocontrol agents for soilborne fungal diseases of plants.

• Plant Disease and Agriculture
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.19-29
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• 1995

A microbial product composed of three antagonistic fungal isolates (Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp. and Trichoderma sp.) and three bacterial isolates (Arthrobacter sp., Bacillus sp., and Pseudomonas sp.) was tested for the control of Pythium blight caused by Pythium sp., brown patch by Rhizoctonia solani (anastomosis group(AG) 1-1) and large patch by R. solani (AG 2-2) of turfgrasses. Cultures of the antagonistic fungi and bacteria varied in the effectiveness in reducing disease severity of Pytium blight and brown patch on bentgrass. The antagonistic fungal and bacterial isolates were mixed and cultured at 20-$25^{\circ}C$ for 3 days in a growth medium, and the diluted solution of the microbial culture was applied under the field conditions after inoculation of the above turfgrass pathogens. The treated turfgrass was incubated at 28$^{\circ}C$ in a growth chamber. In this experiment, Pythium blight was almost completely controlled and brown patch was slightly decreased by the microbial product, while no control was observed in large patch of zoysiagrass. In zoysiagrass treated with the microbial culture, thatch accumulation was notably reduced.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.28-37
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• 2016

Background: Panax ginseng cannot be cultivated on the same land consecutively for an extended period, and the underlying mechanism regarding microorganisms is still being explored. Methods: Polymerase chain reaction and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) and BIO-LOG methods were used to evaluate the microbial genetic and functional diversity associated with the P. ginseng rhizosphere soil in various cultivation ages and modes. Results: The analysis of microbial diversity using PCR-DGGE showed that microbial communities were significantly variable in composition, of which six bacterial phyla and seven fungal classes were detected in P. ginseng soil. Among them, Proteobacteria and Hypocreales dominated. Fusarium oxysporum, a soilborne pathogen, was found in all P. ginseng soil samples except R0. The results from functional diversity suggested that the microbial metabolic diversity of fallow soil abandoned in 2003was the maximum and transplanted soil was higher than direct-seeding soil and the forest soil uncultivated P. ginseng, whereas the increase in cultivation ages in the same mode led to decreases in microbial diversity in P. ginseng soil. Carbohydrates, amino acids, and polymers were the main carbon sources utilized. Furthermore, the microbial diversity index and multivariate comparisons indicated that the augmentation of P. ginseng cultivation ages resulted in decreased bacterial diversity and increased fungal diversity, whereas microbial diversity was improved strikingly in transplanted soil and fallow soil abandoned for at least one decade. Conclusion: The key factors for discontinuous P. ginseng cultivation were the lack of balance in rhizosphere microbial communities and the outbreak of soilborne diseases caused by the accumulation of its root exudates.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.30-35
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• 2009

This study was carried out to determine the causal agents of soil-borne fungal diseases that pose a threat to the muskmelon production in Cheong Yang, Korea and to investigate the potential effects of hot water drenching and three fumigant (metam sodium, dazomet and methyl bromide) on these diseases. As the agents of the diseases, Monosporascus cannonballus, Didymella sp., Fusarium sp., Phytophthora sp., were detected. Hot water and the fumigants were treated on two successive cropping seasons of melon. Soil temperature was measured at 0, 10, 20 and 30 cm soil depth. In 2005, soil sterilization by hot-water was more effective significantly to control of the diseases than by fumigant. yield was the highest in hot-water sterilized plot as $39\;ton{\cdot}ha^{-1}$. Dazomet ($50\;g/m^2$) treated plot was followed as $23\;ton{\cdot}ha^{-1}$. In 2006, hot water sterilized plot showed higher yields than non-treated plots ($14.8\;ton{\cdot}ha^{-1}$). But the other three fumigant contained Dazomet ($50\;g/m^2$) were no difference (P<0.05) in yield.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.450-456
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• 2006

Pseudomonas fluorescens MC07 is a growth-promoting rhizobacterium that suppresses mycelial growth in fungi such as Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium ultimum, Fusarium oxysporum, and Phytophthora capsici. To determine the role of the bacterium's antifungal activity in disease suppression, we screened 2,500 colonies generated by Tn5lacZ insertions, and isolated a mutant 157 that had lost antifungal activity. The EcoRI fragment carrying Tn5lacZ was cloned into pBluescript II SK(+) and used as a probe to isolate wild-type clones from a genomic library of the parent strain, MC07. Two overlapping cosmid clones, pEH4 and pEH5, that had hybridized with the mutant clone were isolated. pEH4 conferred antifungal activity to the heterologous host P.fluorescens strain 1855.344, whereas pEH5 did not. Through transposon mutagenesis of pEH4 and complementation analyses, we delineated the 14.7-kb DNA region that is responsible for the biosynthesis of an antifungal compound. DNA sequence analysis of the region identified 11 possible open reading frames (ORF), ORF1 through ORF11. A BLAST search of each putative protein implied that the proteins may be involved in an antifungal activity similar to polyketides.

• Asian Journal of Turfgrass Science
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.209-218
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• 2009

Bacterial isolates collected from rhizosphere of turfgrass showed strong in vitro antagonistic activities against a number of turfgrass soilborne pathogens such as Rhizoctonia cerealis, R. solani AG-1(1B), Sclerotinia homoeocarpa and Typhula incarnata. In vivo study, four bacterial isolates selected have control values over 60% against one or more turfgrass pathogenic fungi. The antagonistic effects of the bacterial isolates varied depending on fungal species, host plant, and disease pressure, indicating that control effects of the antagonists could be variable depending on field conditions. They were classified as belonging to the genus Pseudomonas species, based on morphological and biochemical characteristics as well as 16S rRNA analysis. The four bacterial isolates are under a study for finding proper cultural conditions and determination formulation type.