Soil bacterium protects chickpeas from wilt, boosts harvest yields
S K P, Sharma SK, Sahu N, Kharbikar LL, Jain SK
Soil Health
If you grow chickpeas or peas in your garden and have battled the wilting, yellowing collapse that soil-borne fungi cause, this bacterium offers a biological fix instead of a chemical spray.
Scientists found a helpful bacterium living in the soil around chickpea plants in India that does two jobs at once: it feeds the plant nutrients and it fights off a fungus that causes a deadly wilting disease. When researchers added this bacterium to chickpea seeds, the plants grew bigger, produced more grain, and got sick less often even when exposed to the disease-causing fungus. The bacterium works partly by making natural soap-like compounds that punch holes in the fungus's cells.
Key Findings
Bacillus cabrialesii strain IS-10 increased grain yield by 46.8-50.3% in healthy chickpea plants compared to untreated controls
Under fungal wilt disease challenge, the bacterium reduced disease incidence by 20.8-26.9% while still boosting grain yield by 50.8-57.1%
Chemical analysis confirmed the bacterium produces antifungal lipopeptides (surfactin and fengycin) that inhibit the wilt-causing fungus in lab tests
chevron_right Technical Summary
A soil bacterium found in Indian chickpea fields boosts chickpea growth and yield while fighting off a common fungal wilt disease, offering a natural alternative to chemical treatments.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Inoculation of Bacillus cabrialesii modulates plant growth and wilt disease of chickpea cultivars pre-challenged with Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris.
Bacillus cabrialesii, a plant growth-promoting (PGP) and biocontrol bacterium, was first reported in Mexico in 2018. This study evaluates the PGP and antagonistic potential of two B. cabrialesii st...
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