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Use of bacteriophages as biological control agents in horticulture
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Use of bacteriophages as biological control agents in horticulture

Rhianna O'Regan, Annaleise Wilson and D Ipek Kurtboke
Microbiology Australia, Vol.40(1), pp.47-50
2019
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1071/MA19008
url
https://doi.org/10.1071/MA19008View
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Abstract

Bacterial diseases in horticultural settings or infestation of fresh produce with human pathogenic bacteria can constitute a serious public health risk. To control horticultural bacterial diseases, chemical control strategies have traditionally been used, such as the application of bactericides and copper-based products, which resulted in development of resistance in bacteria against these agents. Moreover, the use of such chemical preventative measures on fresh produce can detrimentally affecthuman, animal and ecosystem health. Bacteriophages have been used to control pathogenic bacteria since the 1920s due to their specificity against host bacteria, as well as their ability to survive and infect their host without detrimental effects to the surrounding environments. As a result, their targeted host specific applications in horticultural settings can be of interest to growers as well as to the consumers. In this laboratory report, the efficacy of a bacteriophage cocktail when applied to fresh herbs inoculated with Escherichia coli was determined. Significant (P 0.001) reductions in E. coli colony forming units were observed in phage treated herb samples compared to counts in the control. These findings suggest that acteriophage present as an alternative biocontrol for E. coli in horticulture.

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