Carrier-Based Application of RsPod1EGY Phage to Effective Control Potato Bacterial Wilt

Bacterial wilt, caused by <i>Ralstonia solanacearum</i>, poses a significant threat to Solanaceae crops, including potatoes. Traditionally, chemical bactericides have been the primary method of disease management. However, the excessive and repeated use of these chemicals has led to the...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kamel M. Elhalag, Yasser S. A. Mazrou, Abdelnaser A. Elzaawely, Abeer H. Makhlouf, Sherine A. Elsaed, Hanafey F. Maswada, Tran Dang Xuan, Asmaa El-Nagar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Horticulturae
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/11/3/257
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850205062952910848
author Kamel M. Elhalag
Yasser S. A. Mazrou
Abdelnaser A. Elzaawely
Abeer H. Makhlouf
Sherine A. Elsaed
Hanafey F. Maswada
Tran Dang Xuan
Asmaa El-Nagar
author_facet Kamel M. Elhalag
Yasser S. A. Mazrou
Abdelnaser A. Elzaawely
Abeer H. Makhlouf
Sherine A. Elsaed
Hanafey F. Maswada
Tran Dang Xuan
Asmaa El-Nagar
author_sort Kamel M. Elhalag
collection DOAJ
description Bacterial wilt, caused by <i>Ralstonia solanacearum</i>, poses a significant threat to Solanaceae crops, including potatoes. Traditionally, chemical bactericides have been the primary method of disease management. However, the excessive and repeated use of these chemicals has led to the emergence of resistant <i>R. solanacearum</i> strains and raised environmental and safety concerns. Therefore, the current study aimed to explore bacteriophages as a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to chemical control. Specifically, we evaluated the efficacy of the bacteriophage RsPod1EGY as a biocontrol agent under greenhouse conditions to reduce disease severity and maintain potato productivity. To improve phage survival and activity, we tested six carrier types; compost, peat moss, clay soil, sandy soil, talc powder, and wheat bran. Our findings indicated that compost, talc powder, and wheat bran significantly prolonged the phage’s viability and activity, reducing disease severity by 90%, compared to 65% and 85% for peat moss and phage-alone treatments respectively. In contrast, pathogen control treatments resulted in complete plant mortality. Phage survival was enhanced in pathogen-infected soils, supporting its role in reducing <i>R. solanacearum</i> populations. Potato yield was preserved in compost and talc powder treatments comparable to pathogen-free controls. These results underscore the potential of integrating bacteriophage RsPod1EGY with suitable carriers for sustainable bacterial wilt management, highlighting the importance of delivery methods in agricultural applications.
format Article
id doaj-art-815507e251484eec89f501976e11d41b
institution OA Journals
issn 2311-7524
language English
publishDate 2025-02-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Horticulturae
spelling doaj-art-815507e251484eec89f501976e11d41b2025-08-20T02:11:11ZengMDPI AGHorticulturae2311-75242025-02-0111325710.3390/horticulturae11030257Carrier-Based Application of RsPod1EGY Phage to Effective Control Potato Bacterial WiltKamel M. Elhalag0Yasser S. A. Mazrou1Abdelnaser A. Elzaawely2Abeer H. Makhlouf3Sherine A. Elsaed4Hanafey F. Maswada5Tran Dang Xuan6Asmaa El-Nagar7Bacterial Diseases Research Department, Plant Pathology Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center (ARC), Giza 12619, EgyptApplied College, King Khalid University, Abha 62587, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Agricultural Botany, Faculty of Agriculture, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, EgyptDepartment of Agricultural Botany, Faculty of Agriculture, Minufiya University, Shibin El-Kom 32511, EgyptDepartment of Agricultural Botany, Faculty of Agriculture, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, EgyptDepartment of Agricultural Botany, Faculty of Agriculture, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, EgyptCenter for the Planetary Health and Innovation Science, The IDEC Institute, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima City 739-8529, Hiroshima, JapanDepartment of Agricultural Botany, Faculty of Agriculture, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, EgyptBacterial wilt, caused by <i>Ralstonia solanacearum</i>, poses a significant threat to Solanaceae crops, including potatoes. Traditionally, chemical bactericides have been the primary method of disease management. However, the excessive and repeated use of these chemicals has led to the emergence of resistant <i>R. solanacearum</i> strains and raised environmental and safety concerns. Therefore, the current study aimed to explore bacteriophages as a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to chemical control. Specifically, we evaluated the efficacy of the bacteriophage RsPod1EGY as a biocontrol agent under greenhouse conditions to reduce disease severity and maintain potato productivity. To improve phage survival and activity, we tested six carrier types; compost, peat moss, clay soil, sandy soil, talc powder, and wheat bran. Our findings indicated that compost, talc powder, and wheat bran significantly prolonged the phage’s viability and activity, reducing disease severity by 90%, compared to 65% and 85% for peat moss and phage-alone treatments respectively. In contrast, pathogen control treatments resulted in complete plant mortality. Phage survival was enhanced in pathogen-infected soils, supporting its role in reducing <i>R. solanacearum</i> populations. Potato yield was preserved in compost and talc powder treatments comparable to pathogen-free controls. These results underscore the potential of integrating bacteriophage RsPod1EGY with suitable carriers for sustainable bacterial wilt management, highlighting the importance of delivery methods in agricultural applications.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/11/3/257bacterial wiltbacteriophagebiological controlcarriers<i>Ralstonia solanacearum</i>
spellingShingle Kamel M. Elhalag
Yasser S. A. Mazrou
Abdelnaser A. Elzaawely
Abeer H. Makhlouf
Sherine A. Elsaed
Hanafey F. Maswada
Tran Dang Xuan
Asmaa El-Nagar
Carrier-Based Application of RsPod1EGY Phage to Effective Control Potato Bacterial Wilt
Horticulturae
bacterial wilt
bacteriophage
biological control
carriers
<i>Ralstonia solanacearum</i>
title Carrier-Based Application of RsPod1EGY Phage to Effective Control Potato Bacterial Wilt
title_full Carrier-Based Application of RsPod1EGY Phage to Effective Control Potato Bacterial Wilt
title_fullStr Carrier-Based Application of RsPod1EGY Phage to Effective Control Potato Bacterial Wilt
title_full_unstemmed Carrier-Based Application of RsPod1EGY Phage to Effective Control Potato Bacterial Wilt
title_short Carrier-Based Application of RsPod1EGY Phage to Effective Control Potato Bacterial Wilt
title_sort carrier based application of rspod1egy phage to effective control potato bacterial wilt
topic bacterial wilt
bacteriophage
biological control
carriers
<i>Ralstonia solanacearum</i>
url https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/11/3/257
work_keys_str_mv AT kamelmelhalag carrierbasedapplicationofrspod1egyphagetoeffectivecontrolpotatobacterialwilt
AT yassersamazrou carrierbasedapplicationofrspod1egyphagetoeffectivecontrolpotatobacterialwilt
AT abdelnaseraelzaawely carrierbasedapplicationofrspod1egyphagetoeffectivecontrolpotatobacterialwilt
AT abeerhmakhlouf carrierbasedapplicationofrspod1egyphagetoeffectivecontrolpotatobacterialwilt
AT sherineaelsaed carrierbasedapplicationofrspod1egyphagetoeffectivecontrolpotatobacterialwilt
AT hanafeyfmaswada carrierbasedapplicationofrspod1egyphagetoeffectivecontrolpotatobacterialwilt
AT trandangxuan carrierbasedapplicationofrspod1egyphagetoeffectivecontrolpotatobacterialwilt
AT asmaaelnagar carrierbasedapplicationofrspod1egyphagetoeffectivecontrolpotatobacterialwilt