Tomato needs a large number of applications of pesticides, which can be dangerous both for the environment and for humans. This paper aimed to evaluate the efficiency of actinobacteria Nocardioides thermolilacinus, strain SON-17, as a biocontrol agent for tomato diseases when delivered to the phylloplane of tomato plants. In a first approach, its in vitro antagonistic potential was checked against the pathogens Alternaria solani, Corynespora cassiicola, Phytophthora infestans, Pseudomonas. syringae pv. tomato, Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria. Strain SON-17 did not inhibit growth of bacterial pathogens but inhibited spore germination of the fungal ones. In greenhouse assays, when tomato plants were sprayed with a propagule suspension of SON-17 and four days later inoculated with challenging pathogens, the agent was able to reduce disease severity in the case of the pathogens A. solani, S. solani, C. cassiicola, X. campestris pv. vesicatoria and P. syringae pv. tomato. In field trials, when actinomycete was weekly applied by spraying, the severity of early blight was reduced in comparison with the controls. Strain SON-17 deserves further investigation as a biocontrol agent for tomato diseases.
Biological control; microbial antagonism; actinobacteria
