Antagonistic activity and antagonistic mechanism of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from Bacillus atrophaeus YL84 against Valsa pyri causing Korla fragrant pear Valsa cankers

Valsa canker of the Korla fragrant pear severely reduces yield and fruit quality. Biological control, owing to its environmental friendliness and safety for humans and animals, has become a major focus of recent research on plant disease management. Bacillus species are well known for their antagonistic activity against plant pathogens, and a biocontrol strain previously isolated in our laboratory (Bacillus atrophaeus YL84) exhibited strong inhibitory activity against Valsa pyri. The present stu