Evaluación de la capacidad antagónica de Bacillus subtilis AC01 microencapsulado frente a Cladosporium fulvum CC-FCAGP-Cf-Epi10 y Botrytis cinerea CC-FCAGP-Bc-MG001 hongos fitopatógenos del tomate riñón (Solanum lycopersicum)

Abstract

Kidney tomato is a vegetable of great nutritional and commercial value in Ecuador, but its cultivation is affected by phytopathogenic fungi such as B. cinerea and C. fulvum, which cause diseases, reducing the production and quality of the product, negatively affecting the economy of farmers. One way of control is the application of synthetic chemicals, raising costs and environmental pollution. For this, the use of biocontrol microorganisms emerges as an ecological and sustainable alternative. In this study, viable cells of B. subtilis AC01 were cultured and microencapsulated by spray drying, using maltodextrin and gum arabic as encapsulating agents, obtaining an efficiency of 82.5 percent and 90.53 percent. The Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (FTIR) technique confirmed the correct packaging of the cells. Through in vitro tests, a Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of 10 mg per mL and a Minimum Fungicide Concentration (MFC) of 50 mg per mL were determined for the fungus C. fulvum CC-FCAGP-Cf-Epi10. These results show that microencapsulated B. subtilis AC01 can significantly reduce the incidence of diseases, offering effective biological control. In conclusion, microencapsulated B. subtilis AC01 has great potential as a sustainable alternative for the control of phytopathogens in kidney tomato crops, allowing to reduce the dependence on synthetic chemicals, decreasing production costs and the environmental impact in Ecuador.