Effects of bio-organic fertiliser fortified by <i>Bacillus cereus</i> QJ-1 on tobacco bacterial wilt control and soil quality improvement
Xiaozong Wu, Hongli Li, Yan Wang, Xuebin Zhang
Abstract
In this study, bio-organic fertiliser (BOF) fortified by Bacillus cereus was used as a biocontrol method to reduce tobacco bacterial wilt disease and improve soil quality. The effects of BOF application on the control of tobacco bacterial wilt disease were compared against conventional fertiliser (CF) and improved fertiliser (IF). Further, comparisons of soil physiochemical and microbiological differences were conducted. BOF was the most effective treatment in controlling tobacco bacterial wilt disease, with a control percentage of 31.43% after 95 d of tobacco transplantation. After BOF treatment, the contents of available nitrogen, available phosphorus and organic matter in rhizosphere soils were all significantly higher than in those of the CF and IF treatments, while available potassium content and soil pH were lower. The BOF treatment significantly promoted the growth of cultivable bacterial populations in the soil compared to the other two treatments, with increases in cells of 178.19% compared against the CF treatment soils. The BOF and IF treatments also significantly promoted the diversity of soil bacteria during the rapid-growth stage compared against the CF treatment. Thus these results suggest that BOF treatment can improve the ecological stability of soils and help mitigate tobacco bacterial wilt disease.