Biofertilizer induces soil disease suppression by activating pathogen suppressive protist taxa.

ABSTRACT: Given the increasing demand for sustainable agricultural solutions utilizing the microbiome, particularly the use of biofertilizer (BF), it is essential to understand the mode of action and the role of predatory protists, along with their interactions with biocontrol strains and resident community members. We therefore examined these interactions through a long-term field experiment and a series of greenhouse and pot experiments. In field and greenhouse studies, we observed that Bacillus significantly stimulated the growth of Cercomonas, a genus of predatory protists, in the soil. In turn, these protists promoted the growth of Bacillus, leading to increased detection of polyketide synthase (PKS) genes and the inhibition of bacterial wilt pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum. We here reveal a po

SUBMITTER: Pei X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12864819 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature