Promising Finds Hint at Biocontrol Breakthroughs for Produce Growers
February 16, 2022 A slew of new research indicates some revolutionary breakthroughs in using biologicals to solve tough problems in vegetable production.
Here are three biocontrol studies that have come out in just the past month.
Bacteriophages Reduce E. coli on Vegetables
A cocktail of bacteriophages significantly reduced Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC) presence on romaine, zucchini, and spinach, a team out of the Netherlands and Switzerland have found.
The researchers also studied how the phages worked on beef. Beef and these vegetable crops are the foods most vulnerable to STEC. Even more promising, the team found the phages combo reduced STEC just 30 minutes after application.
“These data show that bacteriophages EP75 and EP335 can be effectively used as a processing aid on beef and vegetables, and thereby can aid industry to reduce the risk of E. coli O157 food poisoning,” the team wrote in its peer-reviewed journal article on the study.
Authors: Sander Witte, Linda Huijboom, Silvia Klamert, Leoni van de Straat, Steven Hagens, Lars Fieseler, Bert T. de Vegt, Joël T. van Mierlo
Bacterium Combats Root-Knot Nematodes
A research team out of India identified a strain of Bacillus altitudinis as an effective control of root-knot nematodes. In greenhouse eggplant, the bacterium reduced eggs 72%, galls 80%, and the final nematode population by 92%.
“All trials were significantly more effective than the chemical treatment,” the team wrote in their peer-reviewed journal article.
The team found a bonus effect — plants inoculated with the strain had increased height, root, and shoot weight.
These results follow earlier studies on field eggplant and cucumber crops in infested fields and yield improved.
“Data suggest that B. altitudinis KMS-6 could be an effective biological control agent with plant-growth enhancing properties against root-knot nematodes,” the team says.
Study: Potential of Bacillus altitudinis KMS‑6 as a biocontrol agent of Meloidogyne javanica, 2022
Authors: Sonam Antil, Rakesh Kumar, D. V. Pathak, Anil Kumar, Anil Panwar, Anju Kumari, Vinod Kumar
Biocontrol Combos Effective at Preventing Postharvest Rot
Combining two marine yeasts, Debaryomyces hansenii, Stenotrophomonas rhizophila, and the polysaccharide ulvan delays natural fruit rot, lowers decay and weight loss, and preserves firmness in muskmelon, a new study finds, conducted by researchers across six institutions across Mexico and Ecuador. Use this combination as a pre-treatment for best results.
Past research involving yeasts as a biological control for postharvest rot showed that when used individually, yeast was too unpredictable in its results to be commercially viable. However, when these specific two yeasts are combined with a polysaccharide, the results are promising.
Researchers found that this combination works best when applied immediately upon harvesting melon crops, giving the organisms longer to multiply.
The team also found the combo maintained the fruit’s natural antioxidant enzymes, which helps reduce rot.
Study: Debaryomyces hansenii, Stenotrophomonas rhizophila, and Ulvan as Biocontrol Agents of Fruit Rot Disease in Muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.), 2022
Authors: Tomas Rivas-Garcia, Bernardo Murillo-Amador, Juan J. Reyes-Pérez, Roberto G. Chiquito-Contreras, Pablo Preciado-Rangel, Graciela D. Ávila-Quezada, Liliana Lara-Capistran, Luis G. Hernandez-Montiel
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