Antagonistic endophytes rescue ginger from bacterial wilt by enriching the beneficial root-associated bacteria and regulating antibacterial root exudates.

INTRODUCTION: Bacterial wilt of ginger, caused by Ralstonia solanacearum (RS), significantly impacts ginger production. Probiotics, such as antagonistic bacteria, offer a safe and effective approach to disease control. METHODS: This study investigated the effects of two antagonistic endophytes (AEs), Enterobacter asburiae PA16 and Pseudomonas indica PA2457, on the ginger root-associated bacteria and exudates in the presence of RS infection by high-throughput sequencing (HTS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The results showed that AEs promoted plant health, enhanced the niche breadth and stability of rhizobacteria, increased plant beneficial groups such as Mesorhizobium, Massilia, and Bosea, while decreased the abundance of genus Ralstonia in which the pathogenic bacteria RS resides. In the term of root exudates, up-regulated Gibberellin and Trehalose after AEs inoculation, while the control treatment enriched more antibacterial such as Isovanillic acid, Arbutin, and Sclareolide. Overall, the health and growth of ginger were enhanced through the enrichment of root-related beneficial bacteria and exudates stimulated by AEs. These findings offer strong support for the effective using AEs in the management of ginger bacterial wilt.