The Potential of endophytic bacteria for the biological control of plant parasitic nematodes on black pepper [Program Book: the 7th Asian crop Science association conference: improving food, energy and environment with better crops]

Abstract

Plant parasitic nematodes cause damage and losses significantly to black pepper in Indonesia. Control of plant parasitic nematodes with pesticides is often restricted due to their high toxicity and negative impact on the environment. The need for environmentally safe control strategies has increased interest in developing biological control measures. Endophytic bacteria are ubiquitous in most plant species and reside within healthy plant tissue without producing symptoms of damage. Bacterial endophytes provide several advantages as biological control agents, namely the colonization of an ecological niche also used by plant pathogens, less competition with other microorganisms, sufficient supply with nutrients, less exposure to environmental stress factors, and better translocation of bacterial metabolites throughout the host plant.