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Virginia Tech

Efficacy of the biological control agent Rhizobium vitis ARK-1 against tumorigenic Rhizobium vitis, the causal agent of grapevine crown gall

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

Grapevine crown gall causes significant economic damage in vineyards and nurseries worldwide. Infected vines are not curable due to irreversible genomic transformation by the tumorigenic bacterium Rhizobium vitis. Crown gall results in a gradual decline in yield and vine vigor, then the complete collapse of the vine. R. vitis ARK-1, an antagonistic and non-tumorigenic strain, has been shown to inhibit gall formation when equal cell concentrations of antagonist and tumorigenic strains are co-inoculated in planta. In this study, we tested the efficacy of ARK-1 against higher cell numbers of tumorigenic isolates and evaluated timing and methods of ARK-1 application in in-planta assays in grapevine (Vitis vinifera 'Chardonnay', 'Cabernet Sauvignon', 'Merlot') and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum 'Beefsteak'). ARK-1 significantly (P ≤ 0.01) reduced gall incidence and gall diameter against four times higher tumorigenic bacterial cell numbers. Inoculation of ARK-1 up to 48 hours before or within 6 hours after inoculation with tumorigenic isolates significantly (P ≤ 0.01) reduced gall incidence and gall diameter. Root dipping of grapevine for 24 hours and tomato for 1 hour in the formulated ARK-1 suspension (Kumiai Chemical Industry Co. Ltd., Japan) prior to transplanting in tumorigenic bacteria-infested soil completely inhibited gall formation in the roots. These results are promising and support the development of ARK-1 as a biological control agent to manage grapevine crown gall.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science in Life Sciences
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Plant Pathology, Physiology and Weed Science
Department dc:contributor.department
Plant Pathology, Physiology and Weed Science
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2021

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Nahiyan, Md Abdullah Al
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Nita, Mizuho
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Baudoin, Antonius B.
  • Bush, Elizabeth Ann

Subjects

dc:subject × 5

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
vt_gsexam:30533
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/112691

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Nahiyan, Md Abdullah Al. Efficacy of the biological control agent Rhizobium vitis ARK-1 against tumorigenic Rhizobium vitis, the causal agent of grapevine crown gall. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/112691