Evaluation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Z5 for biocontrol of cotton seedling disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum

Plant growth-promoting bacteria-mediated biocontrol of plant pathogens is renowned to enhance the growth of the plants using different direct or indirect mechanisms. The goal of the present investigation was the evaluation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Z5 isolated from cotton grown in Pakistani soils for the suppression of Fusarium oxysporum associated with cotton seedling disease. In dual culturing techniques, four bacterial strains inhibited fungal pathogens, i.e. F. oxysporum, Fusarium moniliforme, Fusarium solani and Rhizoctonia solani, significantly with percent inhibition ranging from 25% to 91.5%. P. aeruginosa Z5 showed maximum suppression of all the tested pathogens. Net-house experiments showed that the application of P. aeruginosa Z5 both separately and in combination with Bacillus fusiformis S10 significantly reduced the disease incidence by suppressing F. oxysporum (the causal agent of cotton seedling disease) up to 64–65% and improved the percent germination as compared to the infected control p...