Abstract
Endophytes have always been a topic of interest for researchers due to their wide variety of benefits to
their hosts and their diversity of geographical distribution. In this study, bacterial endophytes were isolated from
the leaf midrib of different varieties of citrus cultivated in the Sargodha region of Punjab Pakistan. The
endophytic bacterial community associated with citrus was characterized and screened for antifungal activity
against Alternaria solani which causes losses to crops. A total of twelve strains were identified based on
morphological and biochemical tests following Bergey’s manual of systematic bacteriology. The antagonistic
potential of bacterial endophytes to A. solani was explored using the agar absorption method. This study
showed the antifungal potential of Pantoea sp. (35.66%), Ensifer adhaerens (35.33%), Citrobacter diversus
(33.03%), and Azotobacter nigricans (31.56%) to check the growth of pathogenic fungi compared to controls.
Aureobacterium liquifaciens (27.66%), Acinetobacter sp. (25.66%), Bordetella pertussis (26.63%) also showed
equal potential for inhibition. In contrast remaining isolates Enterobacter cloacae (19.33%), Azomonas agilis
(17%) and Kurthia sp. (19%) were less efficient as compared to the others. Bacterial endophytes are colonized
inside plants and have antagonistic potential for fungal pathogens. These endophytes should be further
explored for disease control. Ongoing study in this area will help to the innovate biological control of plant
pathogenic fungi.
SEHRISH MUSHTAQ, MUHAMMAD SHAFIQ, MUHAMMAD ASHFAQ, FAIZA KHAN, SOHAIB AFZAAL, UMMAD HUSSAIN, MUBASSHIR HUSSAIN, RASHID MUKHTAR BALAL, MUHAMMAD SALEEM HAIDER. (2018) Isolation and morphological characterization of novel bacterial Endophytes from Citrus and evaluation for antifungal potential against Alternaria solani, Biologia – Journal of Biological Society of Pakistan, Volume 64 (I), Volume 64 (I).
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