BIOFERTILIZERS REDUCE FUSARIUM WILT SEVERITY AND IMPROVE EARLY GROWTH OF ‘MAÇÃ’ BANANA SEEDLINGS UNDER GREENHOUSE CONDITIONS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32404/rean.v13i1.10203Keywords:
Musa acuminata, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense, induced resistanceAbstract
Banana cultivation is severely affected by Fusarium wilt, which compromises plant vigor and productivity. Biofertilizers have emerged as promising alternatives in integrated disease management by stimulating plant growth and activating defense mechanisms. This study evaluated the effects of different biofertilizers on vegetative development and disease severity in ‘Maçã’ banana seedlings inoculated with isolates of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) belonging to Subtropical Race 4 (SR4). Four Foc SR4 isolates (CML3487, CML3488, CML3489, and CML3490) were evaluated in combination with the biofertilizers Agro-Mos®, Coppercrop®, Compost-Aid®, Nem-Out®, and a mixture of Compost-Aid® + Nem-Out®, under greenhouse conditions. Chlorophyll indices, plant height, pseudostem diameter, total leaf area, fresh and dry mass of shoot and root, as well as disease severity in aerial tissues, rhizome, vascular system, and roots were assessed, along with the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC). Compost-Aid® promoted the highest chlorophyll indices and improved seedling growth, particularly in plants inoculated with isolates CML3488 and CML3490. For CML3488, shoot fresh mass increased from 42.54 g in untreated plants to 152.09 g with Compost-Aid®, while shoot dry mass increased from 4.68 g to 15.22 g. Disease severity in aerial tissues was substantially reduced by Compost-Aid®, Nem-Out®, and their combination, with reductions exceeding 60% in some isolate–treatment combinations compared with the corresponding inoculated controls without biofertilizer application. These biofertilizers were also associated with lower AUDPC values, indicating slower disease progression throughout the evaluation period. In contrast, Coppercrop® showed inconsistent performance and, in some cases, severity levels remained similar to or higher than those observed in untreated plants. These findings demonstrate that selected biofertilizers can reduce Fusarium wilt severity and improve the physiological performance and early growth of ‘Maçã’ banana seedlings under greenhouse conditions, supporting their use as complementary components of integrated Fusarium wilt management strategies.
References
(I) Araújo, N.A.F., Pasqual, M., Pio, L.A.S., Alves, E., de Matos Moura, N., Costa, S.D.S., 2017. Identification and aggressiveness of four isolates of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense from Latundan banana in Brazil. Journal of Phytopathology, 165(4), 257-264. https://doi.org/10.1111/jph.12557
(II) Blake, C., Christensen, M.N., Kovács, Á.T., 2021. Molecular aspects of plant growth promotion and protection by Bacillus subtilis. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, 34(1), 15-25. https://doi.org/10.1094/MPMI-08-20-0225-CR
(III) Carmo, K., da Silva, I.F., Ribeiro, N.R., Soares, M.R.C., Balbi-Peña, M.I., 2023. Influência da aplicação de biofertilizantes no controle da podridão radicular seca e da murcha de Fusarium e no crescimento de feijoeiro. Semina: Ciências Agrárias, 44(3), 1225-1244. https://doi.org/10.5433/1679-0359.2023v44n3p1225
(IV) Chakraborty, T., Akhtar, N., 2021. Biofertilizers: Prospects and challenges for future. In: Biofertilizers: Study and Impact, pp. 575-590. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119724995.ch20
(V) Diniz, A.A., Cavalcante, L.F., de Oliveira Filho, A.S.B., da Silva Dias, N., Dantas, T.A.G., Campos, V.B., Dantas, S.A.G., 2022. Postharvest quality of yellow passion fruit produced in soil with bovine biofertilizer and nitrogen. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 29(18), 27328-27338. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-18452-9
(VI) Elnahal, A.S., El-Saadony, M.T., Saad, A.M., Desoky, E.S. M., El-Tahan, A.M., Rady, M.M., El-Tarabily, K.A., 2022. The use of microbial inoculants for biological control, plant growth promotion, and sustainable agriculture: A review. European Journal of Plant Pathology, 162(4), 759-792. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-021-02393-7
(VII) Fhoula, I., Najjari, A., Turki, Y., Jaballah, S., Boudabous, A., Ouzari, H., 2013. Diversity and antimicrobial properties of lactic acid bacteria isolated from rhizosphere of olive trees and desert truffles of Tunisia. BioMed Research International, 2013(1), 405708. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/405708
(VIII) Gacitúa, S., Valiente, C.F., Díaz, K.P., Hernández, J.C., Uribe, M.M., Sanfuentes, E.V., 2009. Identification and biological characterization of isolates with activity inhibitive against Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid. Chilean Journal of Agricultural Research, 69(4), 526-533.
(IX) Ismaila, A.A., Ahmad, K., Siddique, Y., Wahab, M.A.A., Kutawa, A.B., Abdullahi, A., Abdullah, S.N.A., 2023. Fusarium wilt of banana: current update and sustainable disease control using classical and essential oils approaches. Horticultural Plant Journal, 9(1), 1-28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hpj.2022.02.004
(X) Kalaivani, K., Maruthi-Kalaiselvi, M., Senthil-Nathan, S., 2021. Seed treatment and foliar application of methyl salicylate (MeSA) as a defense mechanism in rice plants against the pathogenic bacterium, Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae. Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology, 171, 104718. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pestbp.2020.104718
(XI) Khan, A.N., Hassan, M.N., Keyani, R., Amir, Z., Raish, M., Singh, R., Yasmin, H., 2024. Potential of Lactobacillus agilis, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Lactobacillus acidophilus to enhance wheat growth under drought and heat stress. Journal of King Saud University-Science, 36(9), 103334. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jksus.2024.103334
(XII) Kritsi, E., Tsiaka, T., Sotiroudis, G., Mouka, E., Aouant, K., Ladika, G., Sinanoglou, V.J., 2023. Potential health benefits of banana phenolic content during ripening by implementing analytical and in silico techniques. Life, 13(2), 332. https://doi.org/10.3390/life13020332
(XIII) Kumar, N., Krishnamoorthy, V., Nalina, L., Soorianathasundharam, K., 2002. Nuevo factor para estimar el área foliar total en banano. Infomusa, 11(2), 42-43.
(XIV) Kumar, P., Singh, V., Johar, V., Kumar, A., Kadlag, S.S., 2022. Uses of plant growth regulators and biofertilizers in fruit crops: A review. Int. J. Environ. Clim. Chang, 12, 314-326. https://doi.org/10.9734/IJECC/2022/v12i1130977
(XV) Kunwar, S., Redondo, A., Manker, D., Lott, M., Knobloch, T., Brunet, S., Batuman, O., 2023. New antimicrobials and plant defense inducers for managing citrus canker disease. Frontiers in Agronomy, 5, 1292624. https://doi.org/10.3389/fagro.2023.1292624
(XVI) López-Seijas, J., García-Fraga, B., da Silva, A.F., Sieiro, C., 2019. Wine lactic acid bacteria with antimicrobial activity as potential biocontrol agents against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici. Agronomy, 10(1), 31. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10010031
(XVII) Manghwar, H., Hussain, A., Ali, Q., Saleem, M.H., Abualreesh, M.H., Alatawi, A., Munis, M.F.H., 2021. Disease severity, resistance analysis, and expression profiling of pathogenesis-related protein genes after the inoculation of Fusarium equiseti in wheat. Agronomy, 11(11), 2124. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11112124
(XVIII) Mohamed, A.A., Mak, C., Liew, K.W., Ho, Y.W., 1999. Early evaluation of banana plants at nursery stage for Fusarium wilt tolerance. In: Molina, A. B., Masdek, N. K., Liew, K. W. (Eds.), Banana Fusarium Wilt Management: Towards Sustainable Cultivation. Masia: [s.n.], pp. 174-185.
(XIX) Nowicka, B., Ciura, J., Szymańska, R., Kruk, J., 2018. Improving photosynthesis, plant productivity and abiotic stress tolerance–current trends and future perspectives. Journal of Plant Physiology, 231, 415-433. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jplph.2018.10.022
(XX) Orberá, T., de Jesús Serrat, M., Ortega, E., 2014. Potential applications of Bacillus subtilis strain SR/B-16 for the control of phytopathogenic fungi in economically relevant crops. Biotecnología Aplicada, 31(1), 7-12.
(XXI) R Core Team. 2020. R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing.
(XXII) Roselló, G., Bonaterra, A., Francés, J., Montesinos, L., Badosa, E., Montesinos, E., 2013. Biological control of fire blight of apple and pear with antagonistic Lactobacillus plantarum. European Journal of Plant Pathology, 137, 621-633. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-013-0275-7
(XXIII) Sallam, A.A., Haroun, S.A., Aboulnaga, E.A., Mowafy, A.M., 2024. Enterobacter cloacae induces SA-dependent systemic acquired resistance of Zea mays against Fusarium oxysporum. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-024-11280-4
(XXIV) Sharma, A., Johri, B.N., Sharma, A.K., Glick, B.R., 2003. Plant growth-promoting bacterium Pseudomonas sp. strain GRP3 influences iron acquisition in mung bean (Vigna radiata L. Wilzeck). Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 35(7), 887-894. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0038-0717(03)00119-6
(XXV) Sharma, I., Thakur, A., Sharma, A., Singh, N., Kumar, R., Sharma, A., 2022. Phytoalexins: Implications in plant defense and human health. In Plant Secondary Metabolites: Physico-Chemical Properties and Therapeutic Applications (pp. 329-353). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-4779-6_10
(XXVI) Shivay, Y.S., Mandi, S., 2020. Advances in understanding iron cycling in soils, uptake/use by plants and ways of optimising iron-use efficiency in crop production. In Achieving Sustainable Crop Nutrition (1st ed., pp. 307–336). Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing.
(XXVII) Sidorova, T.M., Asaturova, A.M., Homyak, A.I., 2018. Biologically active metabolites of Bacillus subtilis and their role in the control of phytopathogenic microorganisms. Agricultural Biology, 53(1), 29-37. https://doi.org/10.15389/agrobiology.2018.1.29eng
(XXVIII) Singh, D., Thapa, S., Geat, N., Mehriya, M. L., Rajawat, M. V.S., 2021. Biofertilizers: Mechanisms and application. In Biofertilizers (pp. 151-166). Woodhead Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-821667-5.00024-5
(XXIX) Sun, Y., Wu, J., Shang, X., Xue, L., Ji, G., Chang, S., Emaneghemi, B., 2022. Screening of siderophore-producing bacteria and their effects on promoting the growth of plants. Current Microbiology, 79(5), 150. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-022-02777-w
(XXX) Szilagyi-Zecchin, V.J., Mógor, Á.F., Ruaro, L., Röder, C., 2015. Crescimento de mudas de tomateiro (Solanum lycopersicum) estimulado pela bactéria Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum FZB42 em cultura orgânica. Revista de Ciências Agrárias, 38(1), 26-33. https://doi.org/10.19084/rca.16865
(XXXI) Tamang, P., Kumar, P., Chauhan, A., Rastogi, S., Srivastava, S., Jena, S.N., 2024. Molecular insights into the variability and pathogenicity of Fusarium odoratissimum, the causal agent of Panama wilt disease in banana. Microbial Pathogenesis, 190, 106594. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micpath.2024.106594
(XXXII) Wang, B., Sun, M., Yang, J., Shen, Z., Ou, Y., Fu, L., Shen, Q., 2022. Inducing banana Fusarium wilt disease suppression through soil microbiome reshaping by pineapple banana rotation combined with biofertilizer application. Soil, 8(1), 17-29. https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-8-17-2022
(XXXIII) Zhu, J., Tan, T., Shen, A., Yang, X., Yu, Y., Gao, C., Zeng, L., 2020. Biocontrol potential of Bacillus subtilis IBFCBF-4 against Fusarium wilt of watermelon. Journal of Plant Pathology, 102, 433-441. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42161-019-00457-6
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 REVISTA DE AGRICULTURA NEOTROPICAL
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The authors retain the rights to the manuscripts and, therefore, are free to share, copy, distribute, perform and publicly communicate the work under the following conditions:
Acknowledge work credits in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in a way that suggests that you have their support or that they support their use of their work).
REVISTA DE AGRICULTURA NEOTROPICAL (ISSN 2358-6303) is under license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
The State University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Sustainable Development Center of Bolsão Sul-Mato-grossense (CEDESU), of the University Unit of Cassilândia (UUC), preserves the patrimonial rights (copyright) of the published works and favors and allows their reuse under the license as mentioned above.
------------
The journal reserves the right to make normative, orthographic, and grammatical alterations in the originals, to maintain the cult standard of the language, respecting, however, the style of the authors.
Final proofs will be sent to the authors.
Published works become the property of the journal. The opinions expressed by the authors of the manuscripts are their sole responsibility.
