Bactericidal Effect of Entomopathogenic Bacterium Against Reduces Citrus Canker Disease Severity.

The bacterium has been recognized as an exceptional species within the genus, capable of naturally infecting and killing insects from at least three different orders. ingestion leads to irreversible gut damage resulting from a global blockage of translation, which impairs both immune and tissue repair systems in the insect intestine. In this study we isolated a bacterial strain from soil samples which displayed a strong activity against subsp, (), the etiological agent of citrus canker disease. The antagonism potential of isolated bacteria against and its ability to reduce citrus canker severity was assessed both and . Our findings show that pathogenicity assays in by pressure infiltration and spray with a mixture of and leaded to a significant reduction in the number of canker lesions in high susceptible citrus leaves, at 21 days post-infection. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of antibacterial activity of against a phytopathogenic bacterium. Collective action of factors such as diketopiperazine production and the type 6 secretion system (T6SS) may be involved in this type of biological control of citrus canker. The results suggest that the strain could be a promising biocontrol agent acting directly against