Biological Control of Frost Injury: Establishment and Effects of an Isolate ofErwinia herbicolaAntagonistic to Ice Nucleation Active Bacteria on Corn in the Field
- 1 January 1983
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Scientific Societies in Phytopathology®
- Vol. 73 (8) , 1102-1106
- https://doi.org/10.1094/phyto-73-1102
Abstract
Isolate M232A of E. herbicola lacks ice nucleation activity, and has the ability to decrease both the population of epiphytic ice nucleation active (INA) bacteria and frost damage to plants inoculated with INA bacteria in growth chamber tests. Populations of this isolate and a streptomycin-resistant mutant of the isolate (M232ASR11) were established on corn (Z. mays L.) seedlings in the field by applications made shortly after emergence. Total bacterial populations present on corn leaves sprayed with either M232A or M232ASR11 were significantly higher than on control plants until .apprx. July 20, and were composed almost exclusively of bacteria resembling either M232A or M232ASR11. After July 20, total bacterial populations on leaves sprayed with the antagonists were not different from those on the control plants (.apprx. 5 .times. 107 colony-forming units (cfu)/g fresh wt), and M232A or M232ASR11 comprised .apprx. 10% of this population. Populations of INA bacteria in the presence of the antagonistic bacteria decreased significantly throughout the growing season relative to populations on control plants, eg, 30 cfu/g compared to 100-300 cfu/g before July 25 and .apprx. 104 cfu/g vs. 5 .times. 105 g on Sept. 20 for treated and control plants, respectively. Populations of M232A were similar throughout the growing season regardless of whether the plants were treated 2 or 8 times. Populations of M232ASR11 did not increase on plants treated with streptomycin (50 mg/l) relative to plants not sprayed with streptomycin. Exposure to -5.degree. C caused significantly less damage to detached corn leaves colonized with M232A or M232ASR11 than to control leaves throughout the 1976 growing season. Reduction in bacterial populations by the application of these antagonistic bacteria significantly reduced the damage to corn exposed for 2-3 h to a natural frost on Sept. 23, 1976.This publication has 3 references indexed in Scilit:
- Biological Control of Frost Injury: An Isolate ofErwinia herbicolaAntagonistic to Ice Nucleation Active BacteriaPhytopathology®, 1983
- Distribution of ice nucleation-active bacteria on plants in natureApplied and Environmental Microbiology, 1978
- Efficacy of Bactericides and Saprophytic Bacteria in Reducing Colonization and Infection of Pear Flowers by Erwinia amylovoraPhytopathology®, 1976