Biological control of bacterial soft rot in Chinese cabbage by Lactobacillus plantarum strain BY under field conditions

Publication date: Available online 20 May 2016 Source:Biological Control Author(s): Kazuhisa Tsuda, Gento Tsuji, Miyako Higashiyama, Hiroshi Ogiyama, Kenji Umemura, Masaaki Mitomi, Yasuyuki Kubo, Yoshitaka Kosaka Bacterial soft rot caused by Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum is one of the most important diseases of Chinese cabbage. To develop a microbial pesticide that is not only safe but also easily acceptable by consumers, we screened strains of lactic acid bacteria for biocontrol potential. One of 1166 isolates, Lactobacillus plantarum strain BY significantly reduced soft rot disease severity in Chinese cabbage in six different fields in Japan. This isolate also suppressed disease in onion, potato, and tomato. BY populations persisted on wounded Chinese cabbage leaves after spraying. Moreover, BY inhibits pathogen growth in an antibiosis assay. These results strongly suggest that BY inhibits the invasion of the pathogen at wounded sites on leaves and its proliferation in host tissues. This is the first report indicating the application of lactic acid bacteria for biological control of a plant disease under field conditions.

Source: Biological Control - May 20, 2016 Category: Biology Source Type: research