Investigation of the Biocontrol Effectiveness of Some Bacterial Strains on Eggplant Gray Mold Disease (Botrytis cinerea) in in vitro and in vivo conditions

Gray mold agent Botrytis cinerea (teleomorph: Botryotinia fuckliana (de Barry) Whetzel) causes significant yield losses in many economically important vegetables. Chemicals are used in the control to reduce yield loss. As a result of the intensive use of chemicals in the control of plant diseases, human health and the environment are adversely affected. Therefore, interest in environmentally friendly control practices has increased recently. One such application is the use of benefical bacteria in the biological control of diseases. In this study; biocontrol potentials of 12 bioagent bacteria strains (1 Bacillus cereus, 2 Bacillus megaterium, 2 Bacillus pumilus, 2 Bacillus subtilis, 1 Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki, 1 Paenibacillus polymyxa, 2 Pantoea agglomerans and 1 Pseudomonas fluorescens) have been determined against gray mold disease agent B. cinerea on eggplant in vitro and in vivo. Pseudomonas chlororaphis supsp. aurofaciens and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, which were the most efficient strains found in vitro conditions, were also effective against B. cinerea in vivo. In conclusion, it was determined that two most effective bacterial strains could be used as a biocontrol agent in the biological control of B. cinerea in eggplant growing.