o:7683 Versatile role of Bacillus velezensis: Biocontrol of Fusarium poae and wireworms and barley plant growth promotion en Abstract: The major losses in cereal production are most commonly caused by phytopathogenic fungi and insect larvae, indicating the need for sustainable pest control management. Although bacterial bioinoculants offer an ecofriendly alternative for plant protection and growth promotion (PGP), their effects on Fusaium poae and Agriotes lineatus larvae have not been comprehensively studied yet. To find an effective biological control agent against these pests, Bacillus strains were isolated from soil and tested for PGP and biocontrol traits, including the presence of antibiotic and toxin-coding genes. Out of eleven strains, B. velezensis BHC 5.6 showed a wide range of PGP and biocontrol abilities, while the presence of fenD, bmyB, srfAA, spaS genes was also detected. Only two strains, P. megaterium BHC 5.5 and B. velezensis BHC 5.6, showed antifungal effect against F. poae with inhibition percentage of 62% and 67%, respectively. The highest insecticidal effect against wireworms was recorded for B. velezensis BHC 5.6 (56.67%) and B. safensis BHC 11.4 (43.33%). The PGP activity of B. velezensis BHC 5.6 was also confirmed in a pot experiment, where an increment of barley yield was recorded both for infected (17.09%) and uninfected barley seeds (10.12%). This is the first time demonstrating that the B. velezensis BHC 5.6 could be used for integrated pest management of F. poae and A. lineatus larvae in barley and for plant growth promoting. Therefore, the implementation of this strain could contribute to the food safety in sustainable agricultural practices. Bacillus velezensis, Antifungal activity, Pest biocontrol, Agriotes lineatus larvae, Insecticidal toxins, Sustainable agriculture 1552099 10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105789 2025-05-23T09:22:42.326Z 44 no 46 Magdalena Knežević Institute of Soil Science 0000-0003-0186-3652 46 Marina Dervišević Institute of Pesticides and Environmental Protection, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia 0000-0003-2661-6412 46 Marina Jovković Institute of Soil Science 0000-0001-7224-8556 46 Galina Jevđenovć University of Belgrade, Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia 0009-0001-2040-3515 46 Jelena Maksimović Institute of Soil Science 0000-0001-5217-3972 46 Aneta Buntić Institute of Soil Science 0000-0002-7068-1804 application/pdf 2189794 https://unilib.phaidrabg.rs/o:7683 no yes 1 70 92000001 71A05 Biological Control 206 105789 2025