Water 2016, 8(11), 518; https://doi.org/10.3390/w8110518
Potential for Combined Biocontrol Activity against Fungal Fish and Plant Pathogens by Bacterial Isolates from a Model Aquaponic System
Ivaylo Sirakov 1,2, Matthias Lutz 1
, Andreas Graber 1, Alex Mathis 1, Yordan Staykov 2, Theo H. M. Smits 1 and Ranka Junge 1,*
, Andreas Graber 1, Alex Mathis 1, Yordan Staykov 2, Theo H. M. Smits 1 and Ranka Junge 1,*
1
Institute of Natural Resource Sciences, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Grüental, P.O. Box, CH-8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland
2
Faculty of Agriculture, Trakia University, 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editor: M. Haïssam Jijakli
Received: 16 September 2016 / Revised: 24 October 2016 / Accepted: 2 November 2016 / Published: 7 November 2016
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquaponics: Toward a Sustainable Water-Based Production System?)
Abstract
One of the main challenges in aquaponics is disease control. One possible solution for this is biological control with organisms exerting inhibitory effects on fish and plant pathogens. The aim of this study was to examine the potential of isolating microorganisms that exert an inhibitory effect on both plant and fish pathogens from an established aquaponic system. We obtained 924 isolates on selective King’s B agar and 101 isolates on MRS agar from different compartments of a model aquaponic system and tested them for antagonism against the plant pathogen Pythium ultimum and fish pathogen Saprolegnia parasitica. Overall, 42 isolates were able to inhibit both fungi. Although not yet tested in vivo, these findings open new options for the implementation of biological control of diseases in aquaponics, where plants and fish are cultivated in the same water recirculating system. View Full-Text
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Sirakov, I.; Lutz, M.; Graber, A.; Mathis, A.; Staykov, Y.; Smits, T.H.M.; Junge, R. Potential for Combined Biocontrol Activity against Fungal Fish and Plant Pathogens by Bacterial Isolates from a Model Aquaponic System. Water 2016, 8, 518.
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