Paenibacillus bacteria as a biological factor to control Fusarium fungi and mycotoxins in model studies

Various types of microorganisms are commonly used to control toxinogenic fungi in cereal crops and constitute an important element of integrated pest management, limiting the use of chemical treatments. The aim of the study was to evaluate the potential of Paenibacillus bacteria for the growth inhibition of Fusarium fungi and mycotoxins in a model studies on rice grains. The activity of the studied strains in inhibiting the growth of fungi and reducing the level of mycotoxins was determined by chromatographic (HPLC) analysis of the content of ergosterol (ERG), zearalenone (ZEA) and deoxynivalenol (DON) in rice grains after their inoculation with bacterial cultures and infection by Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum. Based on the obtained results it can be concluded that the studied strains of bacteria effectively inhibited the growth of fungi of the genus Fusarium and, in individual variants, reduced the levels of ZEA and DON in rice grains. The activity of the tested bacteria in the analyzed range depended on the bacterial strain, the type of fungus and the amount of bacterial culture used to inoculate rice.