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Biological Control of Fire Blight of Hawthorn ( Crataegus monogyna ) with Fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. under Protected Conditions
Author(s) -
Wilson M.,
Epton H. A. S.,
Sigee D. C.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
journal of phytopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.53
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1439-0434
pISSN - 0931-1785
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0434.1992.tb01277.x
Subject(s) - fire blight , biology , erwinia , blight , pear , biological pest control , pathogen , horticulture , shoot , botany , epiphyte , inoculation , crataegus , microbiology and biotechnology , bacteria , genetics
Abstract Naturally‐occurring epiphytic fluorescent pseudomonads were isolated and characterized in terms of their potential to control fire blight infection of hawthorn, caused by Erwinia amylovora . Preliminary testing and selection of antagonists using an immature pear fruit assay gave some inconsistency in the amount of pathogen suppression on the pear tissue and also in the prediction of biocontrol effectiveness on the intact plant. Selected antagonists provided significant but variable control of fire blight under protected (polythene tunnel and glasshouse) conditions, with isolates HL83 and HL99 giving control of both blossom‐blight and shoot‐blight. In some cases the degree of control was equal to that of chemical treatments, including agrimycin 17 and experimental bactericides, and was achieved without any numerical advantage of applied control agent over pathogen. The timing of pseudomonad application in relation to pathogen inoculation was found to have a significant effect on the level of control of blossom‐blight.