Original Articles
Wafaa M. Haggag
Abstract
β-1,3-glucanase from Peanopacillus polymxa was tested against Pyricularia oryzae , the causels pathogen of blast disese of rice. A glucan-producing P. polymxa, was purified and showed antagonistic activity to Pyricularia oryzae . The minimum fungicidal concentration of β-1,3-glucanase against Pyricularia oryzae, was determined to be 250 μg/ml. Under greenhouse condations, β-1,3-glucanase at concentrations of 0, 250 and 500 μg/ml and culture filtrate of P. polymxa remarkably reduced disease incidence by enhancing perioxdase and total phenols defense. The activity of perioxdase and total phenols increased several folds by the elicitors. Field experiments incidcated that rice seedlings treated with β-1,3-glucanase at 500 μg/ml and and culture filtrate of P. polymxa significantly decreased blast development by 89.1% and 92.3%, respectively, compared to the untreated and increase in rice grain yield. The obtained results suggest that the β-1,3-glucanase from P. polymxa can be used as an biofungicide for the purpose of enhancing plant immunity.