Rhizosphere Engineering Through Biostimulation of Quorum Quenching Bacteria for Controlling Bacterial Diseases in Vegetables

Rhizosphere engineering through biostimulation of Quorum quenching bacteria for controlling bacterial diseases in vegetables Bacterial pathogens have been largely controlled through pesticides even though there are risks involved. Aside from the economic demerits, pesticides negatively affect animal and human health due to their direct, indirect and residual effects, and are considered as risk to biodiversity, biosafety, and environment. The project will provide a cost effective, ecosafe and sustainable plant health management alternatives to pesticides through Quorum quenching (QQ, natural or engineered processes) that interferes with Quorum sensing (QS, signal mediated, cell density dependant gene regulation for the expression of pathogenicity and virulence) in bacteria. Unlike pesticides, QQ does not target the vital components of bacteria and hence does not threat their survival thereby not pressing them to evolve resistance. This is done by engineering plant rhizosphere.