ASSESSMENT OF METABOLITES OF ALTERNARIA BRASSICICOLA AS A NATURAL BACTERICIDE

Abstract

Plant pathogenic bacteria cause diseases in a variety of economic plants by using cell wall degrading enzymes. Many fungal species are used as biocontrol agents with promising results against a wide variety of plant pathogens including bacteria. Biocontrol potential of metabolites of Alternaria brassicicola was tested against three species of plant pathogenic bacteria viz. Xanthomonas campestris, Pseudomonas syringae and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia under laboratory conditions. Bacterial species were grown on lysogeny broth agar medium by well diffusion and disc diffusion methods and then were exposed to fungal metabolites by using wells and discs. A significant reduction in the bacterial growth was experienced during this study under all the test concentrations of fungal metabolites. Among the tested concentrations, maximum inhibition was shown by 100% followed by 50%. No growth of bacterial colony was seen in the presence of antibacterial agent streptomycin while maximum growth was obtained in pure water. Both the employed methods were effective, however better results were obtained with disc method.