Comparison of Diversity and Functions of Epiphytic Bacteria from Cultivated and Weed Plants in Agrocenoses

Abstract

Diversity of epiphytic bacterial complexes from cultivated and weed plants was compared according to the frequency of predominance of bacterial taxa in these communities and using the principal component method. The presence of both common dominants on cultivated and weed plants and distinct differences in the composition of the epiphytic bacterial complexes of these plants was revealed. The representatives of chemolithotrophic bacteria capable of tetrathionate and thiosulfate assimilation were found only on weed plants. The antibiotic activity of bacteria isolated from weed plants was almost twice as high as that found for bacteria from cultivated plants. The obtained data indicate the positive effect of bacterial communities of weed plants, which make it possible to protect cultivated plants from phytopathogens.