Potential of Bacillus sp. SNRUSA9 for Suppressing Anthracnose and Promoting Growth in Chili
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48048/tis.2026.11729Keywords:
Biological control, Antagonistic bacteria, Plant growth promoting bacteria, Biocontrol agent, Bacillus, Colletotrichum acutatum, Colletotrichum capsici, Colletotrichum gloeosporioidesAbstract
Anthracnose is a major disease affecting chili production and leads to a decrease in crop yield. Farmers have increased their use of chemical agents to agricultural problems. However, the rising use of agricultural chemicals poses risks to human health and the environment. This research focused on assessing the efficacy of the bacterial isolate SNRUSA9 in controlling Colletotrichum acutatum, C. capsici, and C. gloeosporioides, responsible for anthracnose, and to assess its plant growth-promoting traits. SNRUSA9 exhibited strong antagonistic activity against all three pathogens and produced disease-suppressing compounds, including amylase, cellulase, chitinase, lipase, protease, siderophores, and biofilm. It also exhibited plant growth-promoting properties through ammonia production, indole-3-acetic acid synthesis, and phosphate solubilization. SNRUSA9 was identified as a Bacillus species, and designated Bacillus sp. SNRUSA9. Pot experiments confirmed its effectiveness in significantly reducing anthracnose incidence and enhancing chili growth, fresh weight, dry weight, and shoot length, compared to the control. The study highlights the potential of Bacillus sp. SNRUSA9 for disease suppression and chili growth promotion.
HIGHLIGHTS
- A novel Bacillus strain, SNRUSA9, capable of successfully controlling anthracnose diseases and promoting chili growth, was discovered.
- Bacillus SNRUSA9 exhibits multifunctional biocontrol traits, including the production of siderophores, extracellular lytic enzymes, and biofilms, which inhibit the growth of C. acutatum, C. capsici, and C. gloeosporioides, and reduce anthracnose incidence under pot conditions.
- Bacillus SNRUSA9 has multiple growth-promoting traits, including ammonia production, IAA synthesis, and phosphate solubilization, which enhance growth parameters in chili under pot conditions.
GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
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