Efficacy of <i>Pantoea agglomerans</i> strain RK-84 in controlling fire blight caused by <i>Erwinia amylovora</i> in pear orchards

Erwinia amylovora is a bacterial pathogen responsible for fire blight, a devastating disease that affects apples, pears, and other plants in the Rosaceae family worldwide. Biological control is considered an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical treatments, with Pantoea agglomerans strains playing a key role. This study aims to assess the efficacy of P. agglomerans strain RK-84 in controlling fire blight caused by E. amylovora in pear orchards in two regions of T & uuml;rkiye, Amasya and Antalya. In this experiment, a suspension of P. agglomerans RK-84 at a density of 105 CFU/mL was sprayed on trees at three time points: at the onset of flower blossom, two weeks later, and ten days following the second application. As a positive control, Bacillus subtilis QST 713 was applied at a concentration of 107 CFU/mL (Serenade (R) ASO, Bayer CropScience). Results indicated that P. agglomerans RK-84, at a concentration of 105 CFU/mL, reduced disease incidence with an efficacy of 86.04% in Amasya and 84.28% in Antalya, showing no significant difference from the positive control, which achieved efficacy rates of 86.68% in Amasya and 84.89% in Antalya.

Journal

JOURNAL OF PLANT PATHOLOGY

Year

2025

Volume

107

Issue

1

Pages

597-603

ISSN

1125-4653

eISSN

2239-7264

DOI

10.1007/s42161-024-01809-7

WoS UID

WOS:001368848200001