Antagonistic Activity of Siderophore-Producing Bacteria from Black Rice Rhizosphere against Rice Blast Fungus Pyricularia oryzae

Rice blast caused by Pyricularia oryzae, which is a major threat to food security worldwide, markedly decreases the yield of rice. Some rhizobacteria called 'plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria' inhibit plant pathogens and improve plant growth by secreting iron-chelating siderophores. The decreased availability of iron adversely affects the survival of pathogens, especially fungal pathogens, in the rhizosphere. This study aimed to determine the morphological diversity of siderophore-producing bacteria, analyze the type of siderophores produced by the bacteria, and examine their growth-inhibitory activity against Pyricularia oryzae. The rhizobacteria were isolated from the rhizosphere of Sembada Hitam variety of black rice plants in Pakem, Sleman, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. In total, 12 distinct isolates were screened for the production of siderophores. It was found that 9 out of 12 bacteria produced siderophore and most of them were Gram positive bacteria. The best siderophore-producing isolates with different type of siderophore were used in further studies. The IS3 and IS14 isolates were found to be the best siderophore producer that produced hydroxamate and mixed type of hydroxamate-carboxylate type of siderophore, respectively. In the dual culture assay, IS14 showed a strong antagonistic effect against Pyricularia oryzae by the 81.17% inhibition.