CE 100 Inhibits Root Rot Diseases ( spp.) and Promotes Growth of Japanese Cypress ( Endlicher) Seedlings.

Root rot diseases, caused by phytopathogenic oomycetes, spp. cause devastating losses involving forest seedlings, such as Japanese cypress ( Endlicher) in Korea. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are a promising strategy to control root rot diseases and promote growth in seedlings. In this study, the potential of CE 100 in controlling root rot diseases and promoting the growth of seedlings was investigated. CE 100 produced β-1,3-glucanase and protease enzymes, which degrade the β-glucan and protein components of phytopathogenic oomycetes cell-wall, causing mycelial growth inhibition of , , and by 54.6%, 62.6%, 74.3%, and 73.7%, respectively. The inhibited phytopathogens showed abnormal growth characterized by swelling and deformation of hyphae. CE 100 increased the survival rate of seedlings 2.0-fold and 1.7-fold compared to control, and fertilizer treatment, respectively. Moreover, CE 100 produced indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) up to 183.7 mg/L, resulting in a significant increase in the growth of seedlings compared to control, or chemical fertilizer treatment, respectively. Therefore, this study demonstrates that CE 100 could simultaneously control root rot diseases and enhance growth of seedlings.