• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.379-387
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• 2013

In order to improve practical utility of agro-microorganisms (AMs) which had been cultured and disseminated to promote plant growth and to control crop diseases, 51 isolates of AMs were collected from 18 agricultural extension centers in local government and screened for multi-functions such as antifungal activity, activities of phosphorus solubilization, IAA and siderophore production, nitrogen fixation, and hydrolytic enzyme activity. Finally we selected one isolate showing good antifungal activity and multi-functions related to plant growth and disease control. The selected isolate, Paenibacillus polymyxa CW, showed good inhibitory effect against plant pathogens, Pyricularia gresea, Colletotrichum acutatum, Fusarium oxysporum, Phomopsis sp., Aspergillus niger, Rhizoctonia solani and Phytophthora capsici. Suppressive effect of P. polymyxa CW against the used plant pathogens except for R. solani was much higher than that of P. polymyxa AC-1 storing in National Academy of Agricultural Science. We found P. polymyxa CW isolate showed good activity in siderophore and IAA formation, and nitrogen fixation. With P. polymyxa CW isolate, siderophore formation activity was similar to that of P. polymyxa AC-1, but IAA formation and nitrogen fixation activity was much higher than that of P. polymyxa AC-1. However neither P. polymyxa CW nor P. polymyxa AC-1 showed hydrolytic enzyme (chitinase, pectinase and cellulase) activity. The treatment of P. polymyxa CW with culture suspension of different cell density ($10^8$, $10^7$. $10^6$ cfu/ml) showed that the highest density reduced incidence of red pepper powdery mildew by 68.3% after 10 days of application. As application density of P. polymyxa CW was decreased, its control efficacy was proportionally decreased. In addition, when P. polymyxa CW was treated to control tomato powdery mildew at the same concentrations and their control effects were investigated after 7 days of inoculation, disease incidence was 0.03, 19.5, 45.7%, respectively, compared to 56.3% that of untreated check. Like red pepper powdery mildew, increase of application density of P. polymyxa CW resulted in increase of its control efficacy proportionally. P. polymyxa CW showed a density-dependent control efficacy against red pepper and tomato powdery mildews. Therefore we think that mode of action of the antagonist for suppressing two powdery mildew diseases might be antibiosis and density of more than $10^8cfu/ml$ was needed to control effectively the two diseases. On this basis, we think that P. polymyxa CW can be a promising control agent for suppressing powdery mildews of red pepper and tomato.