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Crop Use of Bacteriophages

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Abstract

Bacteriophages have been a focus of biological control activity in various crop systems since nearly their discovery in the early 1900s. Bacteriophage population sizes must be maintained at high levels in the phyllosphere – that is, the aboveground portions of plants – for effective disease control. Phage persistence, however, is adversely affected by various physical factors such as exposure to high levels of ultraviolet light. Various strategies have been used to increase the longevity of phages in the phyllosphere. Application of phages in the evening, or the use of various compounds mixed with phage solutions, has been shown to extend phage persistence on leaf surfaces. Skim milk was used in several studies, and the combination resulted in improved control of bacterial spot of tomato disease compared to the standard bactericide treatment. Another strategy for improving disease control is to use a carrier-phage system. The system uses a nonpathogenic bacterium to deliver the bacteriophages to the flower surface and simultaneously propagate the phage populations on the stigma surface. Field-based experiments have shown that the carrier-phage system can provide a significant control of the pathogen.

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Jones, J.B., Svircev, A.M., Obradović, A.Ž. (2018). Crop Use of Bacteriophages. In: Harper, D., Abedon, S., Burrowes, B., McConville, M. (eds) Bacteriophages. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40598-8_28-1

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