02628naa a2200217 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001902200140006010000170007424501480009126000090023952019260024865000240217465000250219865300290222365300360225270000190228870000170230770000190232477300670234321706042024-12-12       2024    bl uuuu     u00u1 u    #d  a1517-83821 aVIANA, G. C.  aBacillus endophytic strains control Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici in tomato cv. Perinha.h[electronic resource]  c2024  aFusarium wilt is one of main phytopathology attacking tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) plantations in Brazil. Plant rhizosphere and endophytic benefcial microorganism are well known as plant growth promoters and biocontrol agents. The present study aims to evaluate the potential of diferent Bacillus strains as biocontrol agent to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici Race 3 strains; and also as plant growth promoting bacteria on Solanum lycopersicum cv Perinha. Diferent in vitro and greenhouse experiments were carried out to evaluate the direct and indirect bacterial-fungus antagonism, and they inoculation efects on plant traits. In vitro direct, metabolites, and volatile antagonism analysis demonstrated that B. toyonensis BR 10491(FORT 02) presented a broad antagonism to all tested race 3 FOL strains while B. megaterium BR 10466 (FORT 12), B. aryabhattai BR 10494 (FORT 25), B. stratosphericus BR 10438 (FORT 29) and B. cereus BR 10493 (FORT 113.1) strains showed signifcant antagonistic activity for at least two applied methods. Greenhouse pot experiments demonstrated a signifcant BCA efect of FORT 113.1 and FORT 02 against FOL Race 3 Fus 1302 strain during diferent tomato development stages (seedling, vegetative, and reproductive). Bacillus cereus (FORT 113.1) showed signifcantly higher shoot and height fresh weight, Chlorophyll a and Chlorophyll b content, stomata conductance, water use efciency, and also a lower xylem infection percentage during vegetative and reproductive stages. Antioxidant enzymatic components analysis demonstrated a synergic efect of Fusarium and Bacillus inoculation, leading to a higher superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity. In conclusion, the results suggest that strain FORT113.1 could be considered as a good candidate for production of new biofungicide with high potential to augment the existing biocontrol strategies.  aFusarium brasilicum  aSolanum lycopersicum  aBiological control agent  aPlant growth promoting bacteria1 aMÉDICI, L. O.1 aVIDAL, M. S.1 aBALDANI, J. I.  tBrazilian Journal of Microbiology, Published: 22 October 2024.