In vitro Screening of Streptomyces spp., against Necrotrophic Pathogen Pythium aphanidermatum Causing Damping-off in Tomato and Chilli

Damping-off in tomato and chilli caused by Pythium aphanidermatum is an opportunistic pathogen more prevalent on young or weak plants causing extensive damage in nurseries and mainfield. Control of this disease by biological method is gaining a momentum because of its high efficiency and environmental friendliness. In the present study, an attempt has been made to explore the bioactive rhizosphere actinomycetes for suppressing the pathogen. Rhizosphere soil samples were collected from various locations in The Nilgiris and Coimbatore districts and twenty seven different actinomycetes were isolated. All the isolated microbes were characterized morphologically by colour series and growth pattern on artificial media which showed that they were belong to Streptomyces spp. All the 27 isolates were screened under in vitro condition which revealed that the isolate ACM 14showed a maximum inhibition of 26.6 percent over the control, hence the antagonistic actinomycetes may probably be used against the damping-off pathogen.