• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.282-289
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• 2024

Fire blight is a bacterial disease caused by Erwinia amylovora. In Korea, fire blight was first reported in 2015 in an orchard. If the infection is confirmed, all trees in the orchard must be removed and the orchard must remain closed for 3 years. Since 2020, if the number of trees infected with fire blight is less than 5% of the total trees in the orchard, only the infected tree and adjacent trees are removed in Korea. Three years after removal, the trees can be replanted after confirming that the orchard soil is free from E. amylovora. In this study, a protocol was established for detecting E. amylovora in soil via selective enrichment, using tryptic soy broth with 0.05% bile salts and 50 ㎍/ml cycloheximide, and real-time polymerase chain reaction. This protocol resulted in a 1,000-times improved detection limit for E. amylovora in soil samples compared to that in unenriched samples. Soil monitoring was performed for orchards where fire blight-infected trees had been removed 3-27 months prior; the selected orchards were monitored every 3 months. Monitoring confirmed that E. amylovora was not present in the soil at any site in any of the orchards. A new detection protocol facilitates the monitoring of E. amylovora in soil and could help permit the replanting of trees in orchards. Also monitoring results provide evidence that trees can be planted earlier.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.1141-1148
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• 2023

Herein, we explored the potential of the apple's core microbiota for biological control of Erwinia amylovora, which causes fire blight disease, and analyzed the structure of the apple's bacterial community across different tissues and seasons. Network analysis results showed distinct differences in bacterial community composition between the endosphere and rhizosphere of healthy apples, and eight taxa were identified as negatively correlated with E. amylovora, indicating their potential key role in a new control strategy against the pathogen. This study highlights the critical role of the apple's bacterial community in disease control and provides a new direction for future research in apple production. In addition, the findings suggest that using the composition of the apple's core taxa as a biological control strategy could be an effective alternative to traditional chemical control methods, which have been proven futile and environmentally harmful.

• Mycobiology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.218-223
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• 2001

A rapid radicle assay for prescreening antagonistic bacteria to Phytophthora capsic4 causal agent of Phytophthora blight of pepper was developed. Sixty-four bacterial strains with in vitro antifungal activity selected out of 1,400 strains isolated from soils of Ansung, Chunan, Koyang, and Paju, Korea in 1998 were used for development of the bioassay. Uniformly germinated pepper seeds dipped in bacterial cells for 3 hours were placed near the edges of growing mycelia of P. capsici on water agar containing 0.02% glucose. Five-week-old pepper plants(cv. Nockwang) were inoculated to compare with results of the radicle assay developed in this study. For plant inoculation, pepper seeds were sown in potting mixtures incorporated with the bacterial strains, then transplanted into steam-sterilized soils 3 weeks later. Plants were hole-inoculated with zoospores of P. capsici 2 weeks after transplanting. Disease incidence and severity were determined in radicle and plant assessments, respectively. In radicle assay, six strains, GK-B15, GK-B25, OA-B26, OA-B36, PK-B09, and VK-B14 consistently showed the significant(P=0.05) disease reduction against radicle infection by the fungus, four of which also did in plant assessments. Strains OA-B36 and GK-B15 consistently reduced the fungal infection in both the radicle assay and the plant assessment. Therefore, prescreening strains using the radicle assay developed in this study followed by plant assay could reduce time and labor, and improved the possibility of selecting antagonistic bacteria for control of Phytophthora blight of peppers.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.123-135
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• 2023

Previously, Pseudomonas plecoglossicida YJR13 and Pseudomonas putida YJR92 from a sequential screening procedure were proven to effectively control Phytophthora blight caused by Phytophthora capsici. In this study, we further investigated the anti-oomycete activities of these strains against mycelial growth, zoospore germination, and germ tube elongation of P. capsici. We also investigated root colonization ability of the bacterial strains in square dishes, including cell motility (swimming and swarming motilities) and biofilm formation. Both strains significantly inhibited mycelial growth in liquid and solid V8 juice media and M9 minimal media, zoospore germination, and germ tube elongation compared with Bacillus vallismortis EXTN-1 (positive biocontrol strain), Sphingomonas aquatilis KU408 (negative biocontrol strain), and MgSO₄ solution (untreated control). In diluted (nutrient-deficient) V₈ juice broth, the tested strain populations were maintained at >10⁸ cells/ml, simultaneously providing mycelial inhibitory activity. Additionally, these strains colonized pepper roots at a 10⁶ cells/ml concentration for 7 days. The root colonization of the strains was supported by strong swimming and swarming activities, biofilm formation, and chemotactic activity towards exudate components (amino acids, organic acids, and sugars) of pepper roots. Collectively, these results suggest that strains YJR13 and YJR92 can effectively suppress Phytophthora blight of pepper through direct anti-oomycete activities against mycelial growth, zoospore germination and germ tube elongation. Bacterial colonization of pepper roots may be mediated by cell motility and biofilm formation together with chemotaxis to root exudates.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.17 no.1 s.34
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• pp.37-40
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• 1978

The resistance to bacterial leaf blight of Conventional varieties (chodongi, Yongcheon etc.) cultivated from 1920 to 1956 in Korea were tested by means of 5 pathotypes of causal organism Xanthomonas oryzase (Uyeda et lshiyama) DOWSON. The results of this test are: 1. Among 74 varieties, 69 varieties including 'Chodongji, Yongcheon, Aedhal, Yongsang, Daegu, Mitdhari, pungok, etc' belong to the Kinmaze group that is highly susceptible to this disease. 2. 3 varieties: Heukbal, Doipnam, Whangphan belong to the Kogyoku group. 3. 2 varieties: Namgok, Gangbukdo, show unknown reaciton to differential varieties. 4. In 69 varieties belonging to the Kinmaze group $99.5\%$ of the plants were infected by bacterial group I. $99.6\%$ in bacterial group II. $100\%$ in group III, $99.7\%$ in group IV, and $99.8\%$ in group V. 5. In 3 varieties belong to Kyogyoku group, $1.7\%$ of the plants were infected in bacterial group I. $98.8\%$ in group II, $100\%$ in group III, IV and $1.4\%$ in group V.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.164-170
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• 2008

Carbon utilization by Chryseobacterium strain KJ1R5 was studied to enhance its biocontrol activity against Phytophthora capsid. Chryseobacterium strain KJ1R5 has previously been shown to control Phytophthora blight of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). Strain KJ1R5 could utilize carbon sources such as L-arabinose, D-cellobiose, ${\beta}-lactose$ and D-galactose well. P. capsici could utilize D-glucose well, showing the absorbencies ranged from 0.577 to 0.767 at 600nm. When 2% L-arabinose, which could only be utilized by the bio-control strain KJ1R5, was amended into the bacterial suspension, the efficacy of biological control increased. Among the amendments of various carbon sources into bacterial suspension, L-arabinose and D-(+)-glucose significantly enhanced biological control activity, resulting in a reduction of disease incidence to 6.9%, compared to 21.9% for the strain KJ1R5 alone and 81.3% for P. capsici inoculation alone, indicating that amendment with specific carbon sources could increase the biological control activity.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.446-450
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• 2013

The ascomycete fungus Fusarium graminearum is a major causal agent for Fusarium head blight in cereals and produces mycotoxins such as trichothecenes and zearalenone. Isolation of the fungal strains from air or cereals can be hampered by various other airborne fungal pathogens and saprophytic fungi. In this study, we developed a selective medium specific to F. graminearum using toxoflavin produced by the bacterial pathogen Burkholderia glumae. F. graminearum was resistant to toxoflavin, while other fungi were sensitive to this toxin. Supplementing toxoflavin into medium enhanced the isolation of F. graminearum from rice grains by suppressing the growth of saprophytic fungal species. In addition, a medium with or without toxoflavin exposed to wheat fields for 1 h had 84% or 25%, respectively, of colonies identified as F. graminearum. This selection medium provides an efficient tool for isolating F. graminearum, and can be adopted by research groups working on genetics and disease forecasting.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2012

Indole compound is a bacterial metabolite synthesized and released by an entomopathogenic bacterium, Xenorhabdus nematophila K1. The antibiotic activity was evaluated against plant pathogens, such as Phytophthora blight and anthracnose of red pepper. Indole significantly suppressed mycelial growth of Phytophthora blight and anthracnose pathogens. Under natural sunlight conditions, indole maintained the antifungal activity for at least sixty days. The activity was not affected under the condition of soil-water. When the indole suspension was applied to surface soil before transplanting of red pepper seedlings and was then regularly sprayed to the foliage of the plants with ten days interval, it resulted in significant reduction of the disease occurrences (Phytophthora blight, anthracnose, soft rot, and black mold) by about 30%. These results suggest that indole can be used to control Phytophthora blight and anthracnose of red pepper.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.42.2-43
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• 2002

• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.345-349
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• 1998

Fifty isolates of myxobacteria were isolated from soils from several areas in Korea during 1996-1997 and bioactivity against plant pathogenic fungi of these isolates was examined. A myxobacterial isolate KR025 showed good antifungal activities against Pyricularia oryzae, Cryphonectria parasitica, Colletotrichum lagenarium, and C. gloeosporioides but did not against Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium oxysporum and Pythium ultimum. The bacterium was identified as Myxococcus fulvus based on morphological and physiological characteristics. Antifungal substances were extracted from culture broth and bacterial cell of Myxococcus fulvus KR025 by ethyl acetate. Antifungal substance of Myxothiazole (100 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$/ml) produced by Myxococcus fulvus KR 025 controlled 97.0% rice blast, tomato late blight, wheat leaf rust, and barley powdery mildew and showed 45.0 and 82.6% disease control of rice sheath blight and cucumber gray model, respectively.