Agronomie 24 (2004) 169-176
DOI: 10.1051/agro:2004020

Effect of inoculation of Bacillus licheniformis on tomato and pepper

Jose Antonio Lucas García, Agustín Probanza, Beatriz Ramos, María Ruiz Palomino and Francisco Javier Gutiérrez Mañero

Univ. San Pablo CEU, Fac. CC. Experimentales y de la Salud, Dept. CC. Ambientales y Recursos Naturales, 28668-Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain

(Received 18 February 2003; accepted 4 March 2004)

Abstract - The effects of inoculation with a strain of Bacillus licheniformis on the growth of pepper and tomato were investigated in three experiments, one under seedbed conditions and two under greenhouse production conditions. In the first experiment, the bacterium significantly increased the height of plants and the leaf area in both species and in both cultivars. Effects were greater on pepper than on tomato. In the second experiment, seedlings growing in sand and in hydroponic culture were studied. The number and diameter of tomato fruits produced in sand and in hydroponic medium were increased significantly by inoculation. Treated plants had less disease than non-treated plants. In the third experiment the total weight of pepper harvested from inoculated plants increased significantly with regard to control non-inoculated plants. This strain had considerable colonisation and competitive ability, and it could be used as a biofertiliser or biocontrol agent without altering normal management in greenhouses.

Key words: PGPR / tomato / pepper / colonisation / biofertiliser

Corresponding author: Jose Antonio Lucas García alucgar@ceu.es

© INRA, EDP Sciences 2004