Open AccessColonisation of apple and pear leaves by different strains of biological control agents of fire blight
Author(s) -
J.L. Vanneste,
D.A. Cornish,
Francesco Spinelli,
Jiujiu Yu
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
proceedings of the new zealand weed and pest control conference/new zealand plant protection/proceedings of the ... national weeds conference/proceedings of the new zealand weed control conference/proceedings of the new zealand plant protection conference
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 0370-2804
pISSN - 0370-0968
DOI - 10.30843/nzpp.2004.57.6888
Subject(s) - biology , pear , pantoea agglomerans , fire blight , pseudomonas fluorescens , biological pest control , blight , colonisation , horticulture , botany , shoot , erwinia , colonization , bacteria , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics
The ability of biological control agents of fire blight to establish and colonise the surface of apple and pear leaves was investigated Two commercially available biological control agents Pantoea agglomerans P10c and Pseudomonas fluorescens A506 and two strains of P agglomerans isolated from apple orchards in New Zealand were used All of these strains are able to reduce fire blight incidence on apple and pear flowers After spray application the percentage of leaf surface colonised by the biological control agents was measured by imprinting leaves on fresh agar plates Pseudomonas fluorescens A506 did not survive for more than two days in the field while the strains of P agglomerans survived for several days but the percentage of leaf area colonised decreased rapidly after 48 hours These strains might not have the characteristics necessary to control fire blight infections on shoots