Abstract

Two bacterial species; Pseudomonas fluorescens and Pseudomonas putida and three different chemical compounds; copper sulphate (CuSO₄), Indole butyric acid (IBA) and potassium chloride (KCl) were tested for their ability to induce resistance in lupine plants against wilt disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lupini. Treatment of seeds with the selected bacterial species and chemical compounds significantly reduced wilt disease incidence of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. in Lupine under greenhouse conditions. Potassium chloride and Pseudomonas fluorescens were most effective. Sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophresis (SDS- PAGE) analysis of lupine seedlings revealed that seeds treated with biotic and abiotic inducers resulted in a rapid induction of different novel Pathogenesis-related protein (PR) in shoot and root of lupine seedlings upon infection with the pathogen. These new proteins were not detected in untreated healthy or infected controls. This study aimed to use bacterial species and chemical compounds to decrease Fusarium wilt disease.

Key words: Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas putida, copper sulphate, Indole butyric acid, potassium chloride