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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Biological Control of Pests Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #285498
Title: Inhibitory activities of venom alkaloids of Red Imported Fire Ant against Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis in vitro and the application of piperidine alkaloids to manage symptom development..

Author
item LI, SHEZENG - Plant Protection Institute Hebei China
item Jin, Xixuan
item Chen, Jian
item LU, SHIEN - Mississippi State University

Submitted to: International Journal of Pest Management
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/9/2013
Publication Date: 4/16/2013
Citation: Li, S., Jin, X., Chen, J., Lu, S. 2013.Inhibitory activities of venom alkaloids of Red Imported Fire Ant against Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis in vitro and the application of piperidine alkaloids to manage symptom development of bacterial canker on tomato in the greenhouse. International Journal of Pest Management. 59(2):150-156. doi: 10.1080/09670874.2013.784931.

Interpretive Summary: Bacterial canker of tomato is a highly destructive disease and has caused major economic losses in tomato production worldwide. This report describes our findings of using piperidine and piperideine alkaloids extracted from the venom of red imported fire ant against the growth of this destructive plant pathogenic bacterium, Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis (CMM) in laboratory and the application of piperidine alkaloids to manage the symptom development of CMM canker on tomato in the greenhouse. Both piperidine and piperideine alkaloids significantly inhibited CMM growth on nutrient agar plates. The inhibitory activity of piperidine alkaloids was stable during storage at room and high temperatures. Piperidine alkaloids also significantly reduced the symptom development expressed as lesion numbers on two tomato cultivars, Better Boy and DRK7018F1 in the greenhouse. Our discovery may lead to the development of new types of safer fungicides.

Technical Abstract: Bacterial canker of tomato caused by Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis (CMM) is a highly destructive disease and has caused major economic losses in tomato production worldwide. There are limited methods available to manage this disease. In searching for disease management alternatives, the inhibitory activity of alkaloids extracted from the red imported fire ant was studied in the laboratory and greenhouse. Both piperidine and piperideine alkaloids significantly inhibited CMM growth on nutrient agar plates. The inhibitory activity of piperidine alkaloids was stable at 4oC and 22oC for 12 weeks and at 54oC for 4 weeks. The growth of CMM was negatively correlated with the concentration of piperidine alkaloids in nutrient broth (R2 = 0.948). Piperidine alkaloids also significantly reduced the symptom development expressed as lesion numbers on two tomato cultivars, Better Boy and DRK7018F1 in the greenhouse. This is the first report that demonstrates both piperidine and piperideine alkaloids extracted from the red imported fire ant are highly inhibitory against a plant pathogenic bacterium CMM and that piperidine alkaloids can provide satisfactory management of CMM bacterial canker on tomato seedlings in the greenhouse. These findings may lead to the development of a new group of bactericides.