Screening Tomato Seed Endophytes for Production of Bioactive Volatile Organic Compounds

¹ Amity Food and Agriculture Foundation, Amity University, Noida - 201313, India.
² Amity Institute of Horticulture and Studies, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida - 201313, India
³ Centre of Biotechnology of Borj Cedria (CBBC), Laboratory of Bioactive Substances, BP 901 Hammam-lif 2050, Tunisia

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Abstract

The soil-borne fungal pathogen Rhizoctonia solani remains a primary constraint to global crop productivity, causing significant damping-off and fruit rot in both greenhouse and field environments. In response to the ecological demand for sustainable biopesticides, this study explores the potential of bacterial Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) as a non-invasive biocontrol strategy. Seventy-five endophytic bacterial strains isolated from tomato seeds were evaluated for their antagonistic activity against R. solani. In vitro sealed-plate bioassays demonstrated that NKIT9-derived volatiles effectively suppress mycelial growth by >60%. Statistical analysis revealed highly significant differences among the bacterial isolates in their inhibitory effects on fungal growth (one-way ANOVA, F = 30.03, p = 2.23 × 10⁻⁶²). The results suggest that B. siamensis NKIT9 serves as a prolific source of gaseous metabolites with significant potential for development into commercial bio-fumigants for integrated disease management.