Zaczek-Moczydłowska MA, Young GK, Trudgett J, Fleming CC, Campbell K, O'Hanlon R. Genomic Characterization, Formulation and Efficacy in Planta of a
Siphoviridae and
Podoviridae Protection Cocktail against the Bacterial Plant Pathogens
Pectobacterium spp.
Viruses 2020;
12:E150. [PMID:
32012814 DOI:
10.3390/v12020150]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the face of global human population increases, there is a need for efficacious integrated pest management strategies to improve agricultural production and increase sustainable food production. To counteract significant food loses in crop production, novel, safe and efficacious measures should be tested against bacterial pathogens. Pectobacteriaceae species are one of the causative agents of the bacterial rot of onions ultimately leading to crop losses due to ineffective control measures against these pathogens. Therefore, the aim of this study was to isolate and characterize bacteriophages which could be formulated in a cocktail and implemented in planta under natural environmental conditions. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and genome analysis revealed Siphoviridae and Podoviridae family bacteriophages. To test the protective effect of a formulated phage cocktail against soft rot disease, three years of field trials were performed, using three different methods of treatment application. This is the first study to show the application of a phage cocktail containing Podoviridae and Siphoviridae bacteriophages capable of protecting onions against soft rot in field conditions.
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