Abstract:[Background] In recent years, maize stalk rot has become a major disease threatening maize production in China, posing a serious challenge to the maize industry and national food security. [Objective] To screen out a biocontrol strain that can effectively control maize stalk rot, clarify its optimal fermentation conditions, and evaluate its control effect on maize stalk rot, thus providing a theoretical basis and practical support for the development of green prevention and control technology for this disease. [Methods] The biocontrol strain against Fusarium graminearum was screened by the dilution coating method and the plate confrontation method. The selected biocontrol strain was identified based on physiological, biochemical, and molecular biological evidence. The fermentation conditions of the strain were optimized and the strain was prepared into a seed coating agent. An indoor pot experiment and a field experiment were carried out to evaluate the effects of the biocontrol strain on maize growth and stem rot. [Results] Bacillus velezensis strain SHB23 with significant antagonistic activity against F. graminearum was successfully screened out, and its inhibition rate was as high as 73.86%. The strain showed obvious inhibitory effects on various maize pathogens such as Fusarium verticillioides, Setosphaeria turcica, Fusarium oxysporum, Cochliobolus carbonum, and Curvularia lunata, with the inhibition rate ranging from 63.17% to 79.76%. The optimum carbon source, nitrogen source, and inorganic salt for the culture of SHB23 were 5% lactose, 0.5% soybean cake powder, and 0.1% magnesium sulfate, respectively. The fermentation conditions of the strain were optimized as fermentation with an inoculum amount of 6.0% and a liquid volume of 75 mL/250 mL at pH 7.0, 37 ℃, and 200 r/min for 24 h. Both pot and field experiments confirmed that the seed coating agent prepared with SHB23 significantly promoted maize growth and controlled maize stem rot. [Conclusion] B. velezensis SHB23 with high antagonistic activity against F. graminearum was successfully screened out. The seed coating agent prepared with B. velezensis SHB23 had significant effects of promoting maize growth and preventing stem rot, demonstrating promising application prospects in the development of biocontrol agents and green prevention and control technology against maize stem rot.