Abstract BACKGROUND Botrytis cinerea severely affects the quality and yield of postharvest tomatoes, leading to significant economic losses. Owing to their ecological adaptability and natural plant interactions, rhizosphere microorganisms are ideal for research into biocontrol agents. RESULTS Bacillus amyloliquefaciens HR‐11, isolated from the rhizosphere of Aucklandia lappa , exhibited an 80.03% inhibition rate against Botrytis cinerea and inhibition rates ranging from 63.67% to 82.90% against five other pathogenic fungi. HR‐11 disrupted the integrity of Botrytis cinerea hyphal cell membranes and down‐regulated growth‐ and virulence‐related gene expression. Further studies revealed that both the cell‐free supernatant (CFS) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of HR‐11 effectively alleviated tomatoes decay. Notably, VOCs induce the up‐regulation of the jasmonic acid (JA) pathway, salicylic acid (SA) pathway and disease resistance‐related genes in tomato fruits. Additionally, liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) detected nine antimicrobial substances, whereas gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis identified 54 VOCs, 11 of which were considered major compounds. In vitro antifungal assays demonstrated that phenylethyl alcohol, octanoic acid, and 2‐methyl‐butanoic acid exhibited inhibition rates of 91.99% or higher against Botrytis cinerea . CONCLUSION HR‐11 exhibits promising biocontrol potential against postharvest Botrytis cinerea in tomatoes, offering a scientific basis for managing postharvest gray mold in tomatoes. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.
Zhengguo Li (Sun,) studied this question.