.

ISSN 2063-5346
For urgent queries please contact : +918130348310

BROAD SPECTRUM ACTIVITY OF ACTINOBACTERIA IN TEA ECOSYSTEM

Main Article Content

R. Jayanthi, A.K. Kathireshan, G. Gayathri, P. Nepolean
» doi: 10.31838/ecb/2023.12.si4.054

Abstract

While tea is mass-produced from the young shoots of the tea plant, leaf infections are a significant problem. The blister blight caused by the fungus Exobasidium vexans Massee is the worst leaf disease in all tea-growing regions. The second most significant foliar disease in tea is grey blight (Pestalotiopsis sp.) and brown blight disease (Glomerella sp.). Mostly, agrochemicals are used to combat these significant illnesses. Environmental contamination is caused by the continuous use of agrochemicals. In an effort to remove these illnesses in an eco-friendly way, the use of biological agents becomes an alternative strategy. Actinobacteria are gram-positive bacteria that serve a crucial role in the soil ecology. Two potential actinobacteria, AAS7 and CAS4, were discovered in soil samples from the Anamallais and Coonoor. Under in vitro settings, the antagonistic potential of putative actinobacteria against tea pathogens and their acaricidal activities against red spider mite were evaluated. Highest growth inhibition was seen with CAS4 (90%) and AAS7 (82.1%) against foliar pathogens including Pestalotiopsis sp. The AAS7 cell-free culture filtrate had the best inhibitory effect against Glomerella species (85.3%), followed by CAS4 (65.4%). Using a microscope, the germination of E. vexans spores was assessed. The CAS4 culture filtrate suppressed the germination of E. vexans spores efficiently. AAS7 and CAS4 are the two actinobacterial isolates with the highest death rate against red spider mites (RSM). AAS7 displayed a 100% mortality rate, followed by CAS4. This study demonstrates that actinobacteria isolated from tea-growing soil may be a particularly rich reservoir for the generation of physiologically active chemicals

Article Details