Dataset on collecting volatile compounds produced by three bacteria and testing their efficacy against the pathogen Peronophythora litchii.

This data article provides supporting information to a related research article "Identification of volatile organic compounds for the biocontrol of postharvest litchi fruit pathogen Peronophythora litchii" (Zheng et al., 2019) [1]. The litchi downy blight (LDB) caused by Peronophythora litchii is a major postharvest disease that can severely damage litchi trees and harvested litchi fruit. This data article describes the analysis of volatile compounds (VOCs) in three bacterial biological control agents (BCAs) of LDB (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens PP19, Bacillus pumilus PI26, and Exiguobacterium acetylicum SI17) via gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Volatile compounds produced by the three BCAs were captured at five culture time of 24, 36, 48, 60 and 72 h by a solid-phase micro extraction method. The chemical compositions were identified and their retention times as well as relative peak areas were analyzed. Compounds commonly produced at more than one time points were then subjected to in vitro (on petri dish) and in vivo (litchi fruit and leaves) evaluations for their antagonistic activities against the pathogen Peronophythora litchii.