Application of Bacterial Inoculant and Ginger Extract in Suppressing the Aternaria solani Causing Early Blight Disease in Tomato

Abstract

Early blight (EB) disease, caused by Alternaria solani, represents a serious problem in tomato production. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a synergistic strategy, combining phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria PSB31 with ginger extract (GPE), in inhibiting early blight disease in tomatoes. The findings showed that strain PSB31 demonstrated the highest level of inhibition (46.9%) against the mycelial growth of A. solani. Among all the treatments, the combination of PSB31 and GPE exhibited the most significant effect on inhibiting mycelial growth (65.4%) compared to the control. Moreover, tomato seeds treated with the PSB31+GPE combination showed the highest rate of disease inhibition (77.81%) and seed germination (93.54%) compared to the control (72.71%) and disease control with chemicals (90.23%). These results indicate the potential for testing bacterial inoculants that antagonize against diseases in tomato plants caused by A. solani.