Genomic characterization, formulation and efficacy in planta of a siphoviridae and podoviridae protection cocktail against the bacterial plant pathogens
Date
2020-01-28
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Publisher
MDPI
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.
Description
Publication history: Accepted - 25 January 2020; Published online - 28 January 2020.
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Article
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Keywords
bacteriophages, phage cocktail, Pectobacteriacea, biocontrol
Citation
Zaczek-Moczydłowska, M.A., Young, G.K., Trudgett, J., Fleming, C.C., Campbell, K. and O’Hanlon, R. (2020) ‘Genomic Characterization, Formulation and Efficacy in Planta of a Siphoviridae and Podoviridae Protection Cocktail against the Bacterial Plant Pathogens Pectobacterium spp.’, Viruses. MDPI AG. doi:10.3390/v12020150.