Induction of systemic resistance in cotton by the plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and seaweed against charcoal rot disease

Synergetic effects of pseudomonas aeruginosa and sargassum ilicifolium was evaluated in inducing resistance in cotton against charcoal rot disease caused by macrophomina phaseolina under screen house conditions. in this study,plants inoculated with p. aeruginosa in s. ilicifolium amended soil showed the highest antioxidant activity both in dpph (2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and abts (2,2 -azinobis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonicacid) test. infection percentage of m. phaseolina was significantly suppressed in p. aeruginosa used alone or with s. ilicifolium amended soil. proline is a potent osmolyte which greatly elevated in m. phaseolina infested plant that was found to reduce in p. aeruginosa + seaweed treatment. increased level of salicylic acid in s. ilicifolium +p. aeruginosa treatment under charcoal rot stress indicated the induction of systemic resistance. in another signaling molecule,polyphenol was significantly enhanced by mixed application ofp. aeruginosa + brown seaweed s. ilicifolium. our results suggested that highest antioxidant activities positively correlated with elevated level of phenolic contents that may provide a protection and induced resistance in cotton plant against charcoal rot disease. © 2017,pakistan botanical society. all rights reserved.