North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Mark & Helen Angermayer" <hangermayer@isp.com>]

Normally Lon forwards these, which prompted me to subscribe.  Thought this
might interest some.
Mark
KS

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "ARS News Service" <NewsService@ars.usda.gov>
To: "ARS News subscriber" <>
Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2008 6:59 AM
Subject: Controlling Pecan and Peach Diseases


> STORY LEAD:
> New Method May Thwart Pecan and Peach Diseases
> ___________________________________________
>
> ARS News Service
> Agricultural Research Service, USDA
> Sharon Durham, (301) 504-1611, sharon.durham@ars.usda.gov
> June 12, 2008
> --View this report online, plus photos and related stories, at
www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr
> ___________________________________________
>
> Natural bacterial extracts may offer some assistance to peach and pecan
growers in treating fungal diseases such as brown rot in peaches and pecan
scab.  Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Byron, Ga., are
using these substances as a safe and effective alternative to chemical
fungicides.
>
> ARS entomologist David Shapiro-Ilan and plant pathologist Charles Reilly
at the Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Laboratory in Byron
developed these natural pesticides to control pecan and peach diseases.
Although bacterial methods for controlling fungi are not new, the ARS
bacterial compounds have never been used to control disease in these two
commodities.
>
> In 2006, the United States produced just over an estimated one million
tons of peaches and 100,500 tons of pecans.  Various diseases result in
annual losses of more than $3.5 million for peach growers and $13 million
for the pecan industry.
>
> In these studies, Shapiro-Ilan and Reilly used compounds obtained from two
genera of bacteria, Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus.  They were found to be
effective against common pecan and peach disease organisms that cause
significant damage.  The two scientists tested compounds from a variety of
bacterial strains and species to determine which would be most potent.
>
> The results indicated that X. bovienii and P. luminescens (VS) bacterial
compounds generally exhibited the greatest suppression of plant pathogens.
Applying 6- to 12- percent dilutions of the bacterial compounds achieved 90
to 100 percent suppression of Phytophthora cactorum lesions on pecan leaves.
P. cactorum can cause root, collar and crown rots, as well as foliar and
fruit infections.
>
> The researchers also used bacterial compound treatments on pecan shoots to
control pecan scab disease caused by Fusicladosporium effusum.  The
treatments reduced spore formation of F. effusum to levels similar to those
by chemical fungicides.
>
> Applications for patents on these treatments have been submitted, and
partners are being sought to develop the bacterial metabolites for
commercial use.
>
> ARS is a scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
> ___________________________________________
>
>