A flagella-dependent jumbo phage controls rice seedling rot and steers toward reduced virulence in rice seedlings.

Bacteriophages (phages) are being investigated as potential biocontrol agents for the suppression of bacterial diseases in cultivated crops. Jumbo bacteriophages, which possess genomic DNA larger than 200 kbp, generally have a broader host range than other phages and therefore would be useful as biocontrol agents against a wide range of bacterial strains. Thus, the characterization of novel jumbo phages specific for agricultural pathogens would be of importance for the development of phage biocontrol strategies.