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A research team led by Prof. Li Wenjun from the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has found that a desert bacterium, Nocardiopsis alba B57, can simultaneously fight harmful fungi and promote plant growth, offering a powerful alternative to chemical fungicides.

Their study, published in , marks a crucial step forward for ecological safety and sustainable agriculture in arid lands.

Using advanced untargeted metabolomics, the researchers uncovered how B57 reprograms its metabolism in response to fungal attacks. This enables the bacterium to activate potent antimicrobial pathways while also supporting plant hormone signaling systems, including auxin, cytokinin, and gibberellin hormones critical for plant development.

Laboratory investigations revealed that B57 produces formidable antifungal compounds, including carbapenems, which effectively inhibit devastating crop diseases caused by notorious pathogens like Fusarium and Verticillium. Trials have shown that B57 can completely block fungal spore germination and damage fungal cell structures, demonstrating its efficiency as a natural biocontrol agent.

Beyond its antifungal capabilities, B57 actively enhances plant development. It produces beneficial metabolites such as menaquinone (Vitamin K2), which improve energy production, regulate calcium balance, and strengthen plants' natural stress tolerance. Growth trials confirmed that plants treated with B57 showed significant increases in root and shoot length.

The researchers foresaw the bacterium's potential as a bioinoculant and predicted several benefits, including a reduction in the use of harmful chemicals, improved crop resilience against disease and environmental challenges, enhanced soil health through beneficial microbe enrichment, and the prospect of increased yields in nutrient-scarce arid lands.

"Our research is not just about replacing chemicals," said Dr. Osama Mohamad, first author of the study.

"It is about working with nature's systems to build sustainable agriculture in some of the world's most vulnerable regions."