The use of beneficial microbes is not only demonstrated to control/eradicate pathogens but also to enhance yields through hormone stimulation, enzyme production, and other mechanisms.

Benefits:

• Pathogen control.
• Eliminate green blue-green Algae from reservoirs and equipment.
• Protect crops from several diseases such as Botrytis, Pythium and Mildew.
• Production of beneficial enzymes maximizing plant nutrient uptake.

Mechanisms that microbes use against pathogens:

Microbial antagonism:

Results from direct interactions between two
microorganisms sharing the same ecological niche.

Three main types of direct interaction:

• Parasitism
• Competition for nutrients, or plant tissues
• Antibiosis

Parasitism

Parasitism of a plant pathogen by other microorganisms is a widely distributed phenomenon.

It involves specific recognition between the antagonist and its target pathogen and several types of cell wall-degrading enzymes (CWDEs) that enable the parasite to penetrate the cell wall (hyphae) of the pathogen.

Competition for nutrients

General phenomenon regulating the dynamics of microorganisms sharing the same ecological niche and having the same requirements when resources are limited.

Competition for nutrients is one of the modes of action of
many beneficial micros.

Antibiosis

phenomenon responsible for the biocontrol activity of beneficial microorganisms.

A given strain of beneficial microbe may produce several types of secondary metabolite, having different functions and effective against different species of fungal pathogens.