Abstract
Globally, Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith) is ranked one of the most destructive bacterial pathogens inducing rapid and fatal wilting symptoms on tomatoes. Yield losses on tomatoes vary from 0 to 91% and most control measures are unaffordable to resource-poor farmers. This study investigated the antimicrobial activities of chitin and chitosan extracted from black soldier fly (BSF) pupal exuviae against R. solanacearum. Morphological, biochemical, and molecular techniques were used to isolate and characterize R. solanacearum for in vitro pathogenicity test using disc diffusion technique. Our results revealed that BSF chitosan significantly inhibited the growth of R. solanacearum when compared to treatments without chitosan. However, there was no significant difference in the antibacterial activities between BSF and commercial chitosan against R. solanacearum. Soil amended with BSF-chitin and chitosan demonstrated a reduction in bacterial wilt disease incidence by 30.31% and 34.95%, respectively. Whereas, disease severity was reduced by 22.57% and 23.66%, when inoculated tomato plants were subjected to soil amended with BSF chitin and chitosan, respectively. These findings have demonstrated that BSF pupal shells are an attractive renewable raw material for the recovery of valuable products (chitin and chitosan) with promising ability as a new type of eco-friendly control measure against bacterial wilt caused by R. solanacearum. Further studies should explore integrated pest management options that integrate multiple components including insect-based chitin and chitosan to manage bacterial wilt diseases, contributing significantly to increased tomato production worldwide.
Highlights
IntroductionThe bacteria Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith) is a soil-borne plant pathogen that affects mainly solanaceous plants and some non-solanaceous plants [1]
Molecular characterization of R. solanacearum strains based on sequence analysis of internal spacer (ITS) region has resulted in four phylotypes divisions [2]
The early4.detection of R. solanacearum belonging to phylotype II is essential for preConclusions venting its introduction into new areas due to its ability to survive for prolonged periods
Summary
The bacteria Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith) is a soil-borne plant pathogen that affects mainly solanaceous plants and some non-solanaceous plants [1]. They are Gram-negative, short rod, strict aerobe, non-spore-forming, motile bacteria. Ralstonia solanacearum has been reported to be the causal agent of bacterial wilt disease in over 200 host plant species belonging to 50 plant families [3]. These bacteria infect plants from planting media through root injuries caused either by mechanical, insect, or nematode damage [4].
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