Solanum lycopersicum, a prominent vegetable crop, suffers major yield losses from early blight disease driven by Alternaria solani. Sustainable alternatives to conventional chemical fungicides are urgently needed to mitigate these losses while minimizing environmental impact. This study investigates the application of the microbial consortium derived from Gir cow dung for enhancing tomato resistance against early blight. Metagenomic analysis of Gir cow dung revealed a rich diversity of beneficial microbes, with Bacillus species being one of the prominent. Three key strains Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus tequilensis, and Bacillus licheniformis were isolated, characterized, and tested for their antagonistic activity against A. solani. The microbial consortium exhibited significant antifungal properties, and the application of the consortium on tomato plants led to a marked reduction in disease progression. Histochemical analyses of treated plants revealed a pronounced increase of hydrogen peroxide, phenolic compounds, and superoxide dismutase, suggesting enhanced activation of plant defense pathways. Comparative gene expression profiling showed the upregulation of key defense-related genes, including PR2b, Chi3, and Pto kinase, in Bo-treated plants, indicating a systemic activation of host defense mechanisms.

中文翻译：

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牛粪肥里有什么？深入了解其支持植物防御系统的潜力


Solanum lycopersicum 是一种重要的蔬菜作物，因茄链格孢菌引起的早期枯萎病而遭受重大产量损失。迫切需要传统化学杀菌剂的可持续替代品，以减轻这些损失，同时最大限度地减少对环境的影响。本研究探讨了源自 Gir 牛粪的微生物群落在增强番茄对早疫病的抵抗力中的应用。Gir 牛粪的宏基因组分析揭示了丰富多样的有益微生物，其中芽孢杆菌物种是突出的物种之一。分离、表征和检测三种关键菌株枯草芽孢杆菌、龙舌兰芽孢杆菌和地衣芽孢杆菌对茄属芽孢杆菌的拮抗活性。微生物联盟表现出显着的抗真菌特性，并且该联盟在番茄植株上的应用导致疾病进展显着减少。对处理过的植物的组织化学分析显示，过氧化氢、酚类化合物和超氧化物歧化酶的显著增加，表明植物防御途径的激活增强。比较基因表达谱显示，在 Bo 处理的植物中，包括 PR2b 、 Chi3 和 Pto 激酶 的关键防御相关基因上调，表明宿主防御机制的全身激活。