Premium
Environmental fate and behaviour of the biocontrol agent Bacillus amyloliquefaciens CPA‐8 after preharvest application to stone fruit
Author(s) -
Vilanova Laura,
Teixidó Neus,
Usall Josep,
BalsellsLlauradó Marta,
GotorVila Amparo,
Torres Rosario
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
pest management science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.296
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1526-4998
pISSN - 1526-498X
DOI - 10.1002/ps.4716
Subject(s) - preharvest , postharvest , bacillus amyloliquefaciens , horticulture , biological pest control , biology , persistence (discontinuity) , population , botany , agronomy , food science , medicine , geotechnical engineering , fermentation , engineering , environmental health
BACKGROUND Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain CPA‐8 has been described as an effective biocontrol agent to control brown rot in stone fruit for both preharvest and postharvest applications. However, no information about the environmental fate and behaviour of this strain under field conditions is available. RESULTS The dispersion of the CPA‐8 application was evaluated using water‐sensitive papers, and complete coverage was observed on the leaves of treated trees, while <1% of non‐treated tree leaves had CPA‐8. CPA‐8 persisted on the fruit of treated trees during preharvest and postharvest conditions, while a significant decrease on leaves and weeds was observed 21 days after treatment. On non‐treated trees, CPA‐8 was detected on leaves until 180 days after treatment, and on weeds, the CPA‐8 population was dependent on the distance from the treated trees. A high persistence of CPA‐8 was detected on inert materials, such as clothes and gloves worn by handlers and plastic harvesting boxes. More than 99% of the samples with a CPA‐8 phenotype were confirmed as CPA‐8 using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). CONCLUSION This work demonstrated a good distribution, persistence and adaptation of the CPA‐8 strain to field and postharvest conditions. Monitoring of dispersion and persistence is an excellent tool to determine the time of application and provides valuable information for registering issues. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry