Evaluation of rhizobacteria in upland rice in Brazil: growth promotion and interaction of induced defense responses against leaf blast (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Magnaporthe oryzae</Emphasis>)

Blast and the initial vigor of upland rice plants are the main challenges facing rice crops in Brazilian no-tillage systems. The aim of this study was to evaluate the growth promotion and interactions of defense responses against Magnaporthe oryzae in rice plants treated with rhizobacteria Bacillus sp. (BRM 32110) and Serratia sp. (BRM 32114). The seeds of the rice were microbiolized, and 14 days after the plants emerged, the soil was drenched with rhizobacterial suspensions. Growth promotion was evaluated by root and shoot biomass, root and shoot length, foliar area, and nitrate reductase (NR) activity. The defense response was evaluated by quantification of the rice blast severity (RBS), disease progress, pathogenesis-related protein (PRP) activity, and salicylic acid content (SA). The length and biomass of the roots and shoots and the foliar area of the plants treated with BRM 32114 isolate increased; however, the NR activity was 43% lower compared to the control. Both isolates reduced the severity and progress of the disease. Principal component analysis showed that RBS, β-1,3-glucanase (GLU), peroxidase (POX), and phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) were the main sources of the first components of variance, whereas lipoxygenase (LOX) and SA were the main sources of the second components and were negatively correlated. Serratia sp. isolate BRM 32114 can be used as a growth-promoting agent and has potential for inducing resistance in rice plants. The results suggest that the interaction among the levels and timing of the PRP activity and the levels of SA play important roles in the defense responses against M. oryzae.