New indigenous bacterial isolates Lysobacter and Pseudomonas as an important source of metabolites useful for biotechnology, plant growth stimulation and disease control: from isolates to inoculants

For the first time in Serbia, we isolated bacterial strains belonging to genus Lysobacter, which express a number of traits of biocontrol activity, including a variety of lytic enzyme and antibiotic activities. Members of Lysobacter are able to lyse other bacteria, fungi, and nematodes. Project investigations will characterize two new indigenous strains- LF1a and Q16. We detected that Lysobacter LF1a expresses antimicrobial activity against all investigated fungal plant pathogens and many bacterial strains. The other new isolated indigenous strain Q16, detected as Pseudomonas sp. also showed antibiosis activity, by producing extracellular metabolites, one of which is antibiotic phenazine. Preliminary gnotobiotic assay showed good inhibition of fungal growth by booth of the strains separately, Lysobacter better than Pseudomonas, but the best results was obtained in combination of strains. Primary goals for studying indigenous Lysobacter and Pseudomonas are to characterize them (i) physiologically, chemotaxonomically and phylogenetically, (ii) as potent sources of secondary metabolites for biotechnology, (iii) as biological control agents for plant diseases on all agricultural important groups of plants, and thus (iv) the study of LF1a and Q16 could lead to the development of novel ecological inoculation product for organic and sustainable agriculture which avoids fungicides or insecticides. Project results will be present to users by articles, meetings and web presentation.