Bacillus firmus

Bacillus firmus I-1582 (Bf I-1582) was discovered to have a wide temperature range, but it ideally grows at a temperature around 35°C. Its toxins can break down Meloidogyne eggs and colonize plant roots, where it can induce systemic resistance depending on the species of plant. B. firmus DS-1 is a strain of Bacillus firmus isolated in 2014 from marine sediment off the South China Sea coast. The sequencing of its genome was very useful in understanding the mechanisms that allow the bacterium to function in agricultural capacities. == Agricultural use ==

Bacillus firmus I-1582 (Bf I-1582) has proven to be an effective nematicide against nematodes such as Rodopholus similis, Xiphinema index, Heterodera sp., Ditylenchus sp., Tylenchulus semipenetrans and Meloidogyne sp. It is approved as a biological-based nematicide against root-knot nematodes in crops by the European Commission. It has been used as a biopesticide to control Meloidogyne incognita, or southern root-knot nematode, and Pseudopyrenochaeta lycopersici, a fungal plant pathogen, on the growth of tomato crops in an integrated pest management environment. When applied independently and with the chemicals oxamyl and fosthiazate, Bf I-1582 was found to have suppressed both nematode and fungus populations. == References ==