Integrated Management Of Tomato Bacterial Spot Using Bio-control Agents And Conventional Bactericides

Nov 07, 2016

By Mathews Paret

Situation

Bacterial spot of tomato continues to be the topmost bacterial disease of economic importance in Florida with the potential of causing >20% yield losses under ideal conditions for disease occurrence (Fig.1, Fig. 2). In Florida, the disease is caused by a bacterial species; Xanthomonas perforans. Currently all strains of this bacterium in Florida are copper-tolerant. Integrated use of different types of bactericides (chemical and biological) is thus very critical in minimizing risks associated with the disease in Florida tomato production.

Fig. 1. Severe leaf spot caused by Xanthomonas perforans, the causal agent for bacterial spot on tomato. Photo: Mathews Paret

Fig. 2. Severe leaf blight caused by Xanthomonas perforans. Photo: Mathews Paret

NFREC Trials

Key findings from research trials conducted at the North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC) Quincy, are shown below to highlight the potential for integrated use of bactericides and stand-alone or single-bactericide use. Five Bactericides were compared in the study: Actinovate (Bio-control agent; Streptomyces lydicus), Serenade (Bio-control agent; Bacillus subtilis), Actigard (Plant defense inducer; Acibenzolar S-Methyl), Kocide (Conventional bactericide; copper-hydroxide), and Mankocide/ Kocide + Penncozeb (Conventional bactericide mix with improved bactericidal properties than copper hydroxide by itself; Copper-hydroxide + Ethylene Bis-Dithiocarbamate).

Each chart depicts the Area Under Disease Progress Curve (AUDPC). The higher the AUDPC, the higher the disease severity over the period of the trial. Within the treatment tables the different letters next to the treatments mean that they are statistically different (Pr>F=0.05; LSD)

Spring 2015 Trial

AUDPC: Area Under Disease Progress Curve

Different letters next to the treatments means that they are statistically different (Pr>F=0.05; LSD)

AUDPC: Area Under Disease Progress Curve.

Different letters next to the treatments means that they are statistically different (Pr>F=0.05; LSD)

AUDPC: Area Under Disease Progress Curve.

Different letters next to the treatments means that they are statistically different (Pr>F=0.05; LSD)

Summary Points

Use of plant defense inducer and bio-control agents can be effective alternatives to conventional copper bactericides against bacterial spot of tomato.
Integrated use of biological control agents can minimize of risks associated with potential failure of copper bactericides in Florida tomato production.

Source: ufl.edu

Video: Seeing the Whole Season: How Continuous Crop Modeling Is Changing Breeding

Plant breeding has long been shaped by snapshots. A walk through a plot. A single set of notes. A yield check at the end of the season. But crops do not grow in moments. They change every day.

In this conversation, Gary Nijak of AerialPLOT explains how continuous crop modeling is changing the way breeders see, measure, and select plants by capturing growth, stress, and recovery across the entire season, not just at isolated points in time.

Nijak breaks down why point-in-time observations can miss critical performance signals, how repeated, season-long data collection removes the human bottleneck in breeding, and what becomes possible when every plot is treated as a living data set. He also explores how continuous modeling allows breeding programs to move beyond vague descriptors and toward measurable, repeatable insights that connect directly to on-farm outcomes.

This conversation explores:

• What continuous crop modeling is and how it works

• Why traditional field observations fall short over a full growing season

• How scale and repeated measurement change breeding decisions

• What “digital twins” of plots mean for selection and performance

• Why data, not hardware, is driving the next shift in breeding innovation As data-driven breeding moves from research into real-world programs, this discussion offers a clear look at how seeing the whole season is reshaping value for breeders, seed companies, and farmers, and why this may be only the beginning.