Potential of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria in the management of nematodes: A review

Over the past decade, Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria have gained worldwide importance and acceptance for their agricultural benefits through the application of combinations of different mechanisms of action, which allows increases in crop yield. This is due to the emerging demand for reduced dependence on synthetic chemical products and to the growing necessity of sustainable agriculture within a holistic vision of development and environmental protection. There is an increasing market for biopesticides and an increase in number of microbial control studies directed towards plant-parasitic nematodes. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria are beneficial bacteria that colonize the rhizosphere and plant roots resulting in enhancement of plant growth or protection against certain phytonematodes. Various studies were conducted to assess myriad strains of rhizobacteria for antagonistic activity against plant-parasitic nematodes using rhizobacterial inoculants in relation to soil microbial activity and rhizosphere bacterial populations. This literature survey provides an overview of research on biological control of economically important phytonematodes using rhizobacteria.