Bacillus velezensis Effectively Controls Fusarium Wilt in Strawberry Through Enzyme Activation and Defense Gene Upregulation

Breakthrough Findings Highlight a Promising Biological Solution to Strawberry Wilt Disease

A newly published study titled “Application and evaluation of the effectiveness of Bacillus velezensis on strawberry wilt disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum” presents strong evidence that Bacillus velezensis is an effective biological control agent against Fusarium oxysporum, the pathogen causing devastating strawberry wilt disease.

Strawberry wilt severely limits production worldwide, with the fungus invading root systems, blocking nutrient transport, and triggering plant death during any growth stage. With chemical fungicides increasingly unsustainable due to environmental impacts and resistance development, the study addresses an urgent need for reliable biocontrol solutions.

Isolation and Screening of Biocontrol Strains

Researchers isolated microbial candidates from the rhizosphere of healthy strawberry plants and identified B. velezensis as the most potent antagonist. In dual-culture assays, the bacterium achieved an 80% inhibition rate against F. oxysporum, outperforming other tested Bacillus species.

Pot Trials Reveal Strong Preventive Effects

In greenhouse experiments, pre-treatment with B. velezensis significantly reduced disease index scores in infected strawberries. Plants treated before pathogen exposure maintained normal growth, developed healthier roots, and exhibited fewer wilt symptoms compared to pathogen-only controls.

Biochemical and Molecular Defense Activation

The study provides mechanistic evidence showing that B. velezensis strengthens plant immunity by:

Increasing peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities
Reducing malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation
Upregulating key defense genes FaRbohD, FaPDF1.2, and FaPR1—up to 13.97-fold in some treatments

These responses suggest enhanced oxidative stress management and activation of systemic resistance pathways in strawberries.

Field Trials Validate Real-World Efficacy

Under natural disease pressure, B. velezensis treatment reduced disease index values to 48.96% while untreated controls suffered high seedling mortality (31.67%). This confirms the bacterium’s potential in commercial strawberry cultivation.

Conclusion

The findings demonstrate that Bacillus velezensis offers significant, mechanism-based protection against strawberry wilt. By reducing pathogen growth and boosting plant defense systems, this microbial agent shows great promise for sustainable strawberry production.

Reference

Zhang, S., Wu, J., Zhang, X., Nie, X., Liu, Z., Qi, J., … & Ma, Y. (2025). Application and evaluation of the effectiveness of Bacillus velezensis on strawberry wilt disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology, 103006. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmpp.2025.103006