Plant Protect. Sci., 2018, 54(3):138-146 | DOI: 10.17221/168/2016-PPS

Biological control of watermelon seedling blight caused by Acidovorax citrulli using antagonistic bacteria from the genera Curtobacterium, Microbacterium and PseudomonasOriginal Paper

Sumer Horuz*,1,2, Yesim Aysan1
1 Plant Protection Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey
2 Plant Protection Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey

The biological control of the watermelon seedling blight and fruit blotch disease was investigated by screening the potential use of antagonistic bacteria. Between May and August 2012, totally 322 putative antagonistic bacteria were isolated from symptomless melon and watermelon plants grown in Adana, Hatay, and Osmaniye provinces of the Eastern Mediterranean Region of Turkey. In vitro dual culture tests showed that 54 out of 322 strains inhibited the Acidovorax citrulli (Ac) growth with an appearance of clear zones between 2.3 and 27.0 mm in diameter. However, the remaining 268 strains did not exhibit any antagonistic activity against Ac. Seed treatments with fourteen individual antagonistic bacteria resulted in a significant reduction in disease incidence (DI) and severity (DS) ranging between 14.06-79.47% and between 4.57-41.49%, respectively. The bacteria Pseudomonas oryzihabitans (Antg-12), Microbacterium oxydans (Antg-57), Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens (Antg-198), and Pseudomonas fluorescens (Antg-273) were the most potent antagonistic bacterial isolates which reduced DI and DS as compared to the untreated control. This study suggested the potential of bacterial antagonists Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens, Microbacterium oxydans, Pseudomonas oryzihabitans, and Pseudomonas fluorescens for the biocontrol of Ac-induced bacterial fruit blotch (BFB).

Keywords: Acidovorax citrulli; cucurbist; biocontrol; seed treatment

Published: September 30, 2018  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Horuz S, Aysan Y. Biological control of watermelon seedling blight caused by Acidovorax citrulli using antagonistic bacteria from the genera Curtobacterium, Microbacterium and Pseudomonas. Plant Protect. Sci. 2018;54(3):138-146. doi: 10.17221/168/2016-PPS.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Aballay E., Prodan S., Martensson A., Persson P. (2012): Assessment of rhizobacteria from grapevine for their suppressive effect on the parasitic nematode Xiphinema index. Crop Protection, 42: 36-41. Go to original source...
    2. Amadi J.E., Adebola M.O., Eze C.S. (2009): Isolation and identification of bacterial blotch organism from watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. and Nakai). African Journal of Agricultural Research, 4: 1291-1294.
    3. Araujo D.V., Mariano R.L.R., Michereff S.J. (2005): Metodos de inoculaçao de Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli em melao. Summa Phytopathologica, 31: 66-70.
    4. Bahar O., Kritzman G., Burdman S. (2009): Bacterial fruit blotch of melon: screens for disease tolerance and role of seed transmission in pathogenicity. European Journal of Plant Pathology, 123: 71-83. Go to original source...
    5. Block C.C., Shepherd L.M. (2008): Long-term survival and seed transmission of Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli in melon and watermelon seed. Plant Health Progress. doi: 10.1094/PHP-2008-1219-01-BR Go to original source...
    6. Burdman S., Walcott R.R. (2012): Acidovorax citrulli: generating basic and applied knowledge to tackle a global threat to the cucurbit industry. Molecular Plant Pathology, 13: 805-815. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    7. Burdman S., Kots N., Kritzman G., Kopelowitz J. (2005): Molecular, physiological and host-range characterization of Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli isolates from watermelon and melon in Israel. Plant Disease, 89: 1339-1347. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    8. ConceiÇão C.S., Felix K.C.S., Mariano R.L.R., Medeiros E.V., Souza E.B. (2014): Combined effect of yeast and silicon on the control of bacterial fruit blotch in melon. Scientia Horticulturae, 174: 164-170. Go to original source...
    9. Droby S., Chalutz E., Cohen L., Weiss B., Wilson C.L. (1990): Biological control of postharvest diseases of citrus fruits. In: Biological Control of Postharvest Diseases of Fruit and Vegetables Workshop Proceedings, Sept 12-14, 1990, Shepherdstown, USA: 60-70. Go to original source...
    10. Dutta B., Avci U., Hahn M.G., Walcott R.R. (2012): Location of Acidovorax citrulli in infested watermelon seeds is influenced by the pathway of bacterial invasion. Bacteriology, 102: 461-468. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    11. Feng J.J., Chen K.J., Kim J.Y., Xu Y., Zhou X.Y., Li J.Q. (2007): Effect of seed priming on seedling growth and disinfection to Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli in triploid watermelon seeds. Acta Phtyopathologica Sinica, 37: 528-534.
    12. Feng J.J., Li J.Q., Walcott R.R., Zhang G.M., Luo L.X., Kang L., Zheng Y., Schaad N.W. (2013): Advances in detection of Acidovorax citrulli, the causal agent of bacterial fruit blotch of cucurbits. Seed Science and Technology, 41: 1-15. Go to original source...
    13. Fessehaie A., Walcott R.R. (2005): Biological control to protect watermelon blossoms and seed from infection by Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli. Phytopathology, 95: 413-419. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    14. Frankle W.G., Hopkins D.L., Stall R.E. (1993): Ingress of the watermelon fruit blotch bacterium into fruit. Plant Disease, 77: 1090-1092. Go to original source...
    15. Gao M., Wang M., Zhang Y., Zou X., Xie L., Hu H., Xu J., Gao J., Sun J. (2013): Microbacterium neimengense sp. nov., isolated from the rhizosphere of maize. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 63: 236-240. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    16. Goth R.W., Webb R.E. (1981): Resistance of commercial watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) to Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes subsp. citrulli. Plant Disease, 65: 671-672. Go to original source...
    17. Hopkins D.L., Thompson C.M. (2002): Evaluation of Citrullus sp. germ plasm for resistance to Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli. Plant Disease, 86: 61-64. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    18. Hopkins D.L., Thompson C.M. (2006): Treatments to prevent seed transmission of bacterial fruit blotch of watermelon. In: Cucurbitaceae 2006, Sept 17-21, 2006, Asheville, USA: 436-443.
    19. Hopkins D.L., Cucuzza J.D., Watterson J. (1996): Wet seed treatments for the control of bacterial fruit blotch of watermelon. Plant Disease, 80: 529-532. https://doi.org/10.17221/168/2016-PPS Go to original source...
    20. Hopkins D.L., Thompson C.M., Hilgren J., Lovic B. (2003): Wet seed treatment with peroxyacetic acid for the control of bacterial fruit blotch and other seedborne diseases of watermelon. Plant Disease, 87: 1495-1499. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    21. Irshad A., Irshad A., Seung B.K. (2013): Isolation, characterization and antimicrobial activity of halophilic bacteria in foreshore soils. African Journal of Microbiology Research, 7: 164-173.
    22. Jiang C., Wu F., Yu Z., Xie P., Ke H., Li H., Yu Y., Guo J. (2015): Study on screening and antagonistic mechanisms of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens 54 against bacterial fruit blotch caused by Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli. Microbiological Research, 170: 95-104. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    23. Johnson K.L., Minsavage G.V., Le T., Jones J.B., Walcott R.R. (2011): Efficacy of a nonpathogenic Acidovorax citrulli strain as a biocontrol seed treatment for bacterial furit blotch of cucurbits. Plant Disease, 95: 697-704. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    24. Kántor A., Kačániová M. (2015): Diversity of bacteria and yeasts on the surface on table grapes. Animal Science and Biotechnologies, 48: 149-155.
    25. Kheirandish Z., Harighi B. (2015): Evaluation of bacterial antagonists of Ralstonia solanacearum, causal agent of bacterial wilt of potato. Biological Control, 86: 14-19. Go to original source...
    26. Krishnamurthy K., Gnanamanickam S.S. (1998): Biological control of rice blast by Pseudomonas flourescens strain Pf7-14: evaluation of a marker gene and formulations. Biological Control, 13: 158-165. Go to original source...
    27. Lane D.J. (1991): 16S/23S rRNA sequencing. In: Stackebrandt E., Goodfellow M. (eds): Nucleic Acid Techniques in Bacterial Systematics. Modern Microbiological Methods Series. New York, John Wiley & Sons: 115-175.
    28. Latin R.X., Rane K.K. (1990): Bacterial fruit blotch of watermelon in Indiana. Plant Disease, 74: 331. Go to original source...
    29. Latin R.X., Hopkins D.L. (1995): Bacterial fruit blotch of watermelon. The hypothetical exam question becomes reality. Plant Disease, 83: 100. Go to original source...
    30. Lelliott R.A., Stead D.E. (1987): Methods for the Diagnosis of Bacterial Diseases of Plants. Oxford, Blackwell Scientific Publications.
    31. Lessl J.T., Fessehaie A., Walcott R.R. (2007): Colonization of female watermelon blossoms by Acidivorax avenae subsp. citrulli and the relationship between blossom inoculum dosage and seed infestation. Journal of Phytopathology, 155: 114-121. Go to original source...
    32. Lovic B.R., Hopkins D.L. (2003): Production steps to reduce seed contamination by pathogens of cucurbits. Horttechnology, 13: 50-54. Go to original source...
    33. Medeiros F.H.V., Moraes I.S.F., da Silva Neto E.B., Silveira E.B., Mariano R.L.R. (2009): Management of melon bacterial blotch by plant beneficial bacteria. Phytoparasitica, 37: 453-460. Go to original source...
    34. Melo L.A., Tebaldi N.D., Mehta A., Marques A.S.A. (2014): Comparing Acidovorax citrulli strains from melon and watermelon: Phenotypic characteristics, pathogenicity and genetic diversity. Tropical Plant Pathology, 39: 154-162. Go to original source...
    35. Melo E.A. de, Mariano R.L., Laranjeira D., Santos A.D., Gusmao L.O., Souza E.B. (2015): Efficacy of yeast in the biocontrol of bacterial fruit blotch in melon plants. Tropical Plant Pathology, 40: 56-64. Go to original source...
    36. Mengulluoglu M., Soylu S. (2012): Antibacterial activities of essential oils extracted from medicinal plants against seed-borne bacterial disease agent, Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli. Research on Crops 13: 641-646.
    37. Mirik M., Aysan Y., Sahin F. (2006): Occurrence of bacterial fruit blotch of watermelon caused by Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli in the Eastern Mediterranean Region of Turkey. Plant Disease, 90: 829. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    38. Nautiyal C.S. (1999): An efficient microbiological growth medium for screening phosphate solubilizing microorganisms. FEMS Microbiology Letters, 170: 265-270. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    39. Nomura T., Shirakawa T. (2001): Efficacy of hot water and bactericide treatments of watermelon seeds infected by Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli. Proceedings of the Kansai Plant Protection Society, 43: 1-6. Go to original source...
    40. O'Brien R.G., Martin H.L. (1999): Bacterial blotch of melons caused by strains of Acidovorax avenae subsp citrulli. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture, 39: 479-485. Go to original source...
    41. Oliveira A.D., Santos M.H.M.D., Silveira E.B.D., Gomes A.M.A., Mariano R.D.L.R. (2006): Biological control of bacterial blotch of melon by seed treatment with epiphytic and endophytic bacteria. Horticultura Brasileira, 24: 373-377. Go to original source...
    42. Ozsahin E., Sezen K., Demir I., Demirbag Z. (2014): Bacterial isolates from Palomena prasina (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) include potential microbial control agents. Biocontrol Science and Technology, 24: 1039-1051. Go to original source...
    43. Rane K.K., Latin R.X. (1992): Bacterial fruit blotch of watermelon: association of the pathogen with seed. Plant Disease, 76: 509-512. Go to original source...
    44. Raupach G.S., Kloepper J.W. (1998): Mixtures of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria enhance biological control of multiple cucumber pathogens. Phytopathology, 88: 1158-1164. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    45. Raupach G.S., Kloepper J.W. (2000): Biocontrol of cucumber diseases in the field by plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria with and without methyl bromide fumigation. Plant Disease, 84: 1073-1075. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    46. Ren Y.Z., Li H., Li G.Y., Wang Q.Y. (2006): First report of Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli infecting edible seed watermelon (Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus) in China. Plant Disease, 90: 1112. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    47. Santos E.R., Gouveia E.R., Mariano R.L.R., Souto-Maior A.M. (2006): Bicontrol of bacterial fruit blotch of melon by bioactive compounds produced by Bacillus spp. Summa Phytopathologica, 32: 376-378. Go to original source...
    48. Schaad N.W., Sowell G., Goth R.W., Colwell R.R., Webb R.E. (1978): Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes subsp. citrulli subsp. nov. Journal of Systematic Bacteriology, 28: 117-125. Go to original source...
    49. Selcuk H. (2014): Acidovorax citrulli'nin karpuzun tohum, fide, meyvesinden izolasyonu ve farkli tohum uygulamalarinin bakteriyel fide yanikliği hastaliğinin çikişi üzerine etkisi. [Doktora Thesis.] Çukurova Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü.
    50. Sowell G., Schaad N.W. (1979): Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes subsp. citrulli on watermelon - seed transmission and resistance of plant itroductions. Plant Disease Reporter, 63: 437-441.
    51. Walcott R.R. (2005): Bacterial fruit blotch of cucurbits. Available at www.apsnet.org/education/LessonsPlantPath/BacterialBlotch/Default.htm (accessed Nov 21, 2016).
    52. Walcott R.R., Gitaitis R.D. (2000): Detection of Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli in watermelon seed using immunomagnetic separation and the polymerase chain reaction. Plant Disease, 84: 470-474. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    53. Wang X., Li G., Jiang D., Huand H.-Ch. (2009): Screening of plant epiphytic yeasts for biocontrol of bacterial fruit blotch (Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli) of hami melon. Biological Control, 50: 164-171. Go to original source...
    54. Willems A., Goor M., Thielemans S., Gillis M., Kersters K., Deley J. (1992): Transfer of several phytopathogenic Pseudomonas species to Acidovorax as Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae subsp. nov., comb. nov., Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli, Acidovorax avenae subsp. cattleyae, and Acidovorax konjaci. Journal of Systematic Bacteriology, 42: 107-119. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    55. Zhao T.C., Sun F.Z., Wang J.R., Xie Y.J. (2003): Treatment of muskmelon seeds with fungicides for the control of Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli. Plant Protection, 29: 50-53.

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY NC 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content