Unveiling the antibacterial potential of organic acids against tomato bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum
Abstract
Bacterial wilt, caused by Ralstonia solanacearum, is a major threat to tomato production worldwide, leading to significant yield losses. With increasing concerns over chemical pesticide use, there is growing interest in exploring eco-friendly alternatives such as organic acids for disease management. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial potential of organic acids against R. solanacearum, the causal agent of bacterial wilt in tomatoes. The pathogen was confirmed through biochemical and morphological characterization under in vitro conditions. Biochemical analysis showed negative results for gram staining and indole production tests, while catalase, hydrogen sulfide production, and oxidase tests were positive. Morphologically, R. solanacearum appeared rod-shaped, forming dirty white colonies with an irregular growth pattern on nutrient agar medium. Organic acids were tested under in vitro and greenhouse conditions using a Completely Randomized Design, while in vivo experiments were conducted using a Randomized Complete Block Design. Among the tested organic acids, citric acid exhibited the largest inhibition zone (12.085 mm), followed by lactic acid (9.1041 mm) and ascorbic acid (7.2196 mm), as compared to the control. Under greenhouse and in vivo conditions, citric acid resulted in the lowest disease incidences of 26.330% and 29.591%, respectively. This study confirms that citric acid is an effective organic solution for managing bacterial wilt in tomatoes. For growers, integrating citric acid into disease management strategies can help reduce crop losses, minimize chemical usage, and promote sustainable tomato production.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Abdalla, M.E., Seadh, S.E., Hamza, S., 2019. Inhibitory effect and morphological changes by organic acids to bacterial strains causing sugar beet soft root rot in vitro. Journal of Plant Protection and Pathology 10(3), 187-193.
Abd-Elgawad, M.M., 2020. Plant-parasitic nematodes and their biocontrol agents: current status and future vistas. Management of Phytonematodes: Recent Advances and Future Challenges. Springer 14, 171-203.
Agarwal, H., Dowarah, B., Baruah, P.M., Bordoloi, K.S., Krishnatreya, D.B., Agarwala, N., 2020. Endophytes from Gnetum gnemon L. can protect seedlings against the infection of phytopathogenic bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum as well as promote plant growth in tomato. Microbiological Research 238, 126503.
Asghar, A., Mukhtar, T., Raja, M.U., Gulzar, A., 2020. Interaction between Meloidogyne javanica and Ralstonia solanacearum in chili. Pakistan Journal of Zoology 52(4), 1525-1530.
Ash, C., Drábek, O., Tejnecký, V., Jehlička, J., Michon, N., Borůvka, L., 2016. Sustainable soil washing: shredded card filtration of potentially toxic elements after leaching from soil using organic acid solutions. PLOS ONE 11, e0149882.
Aslam, M.N., Mukhtar, T., 2023a. Characterization of Ralstonia solanacearum causing bacterial wilt from major chili growing areas of Pakistan. Bragantia 82, e20230001.
Aslam, M.N., Mukhtar, T., 2023b. Distributional spectrum of bacterial wilt of chili incited by Ralstonia solanacearum in Pakistan. Bragantia 82, e20220196.
Aslam, M.N., Mukhtar, T., 2024. Evaluation of virulence among Pakistani isolates of Ralstonia solanacearum inducing bacterial wilt in chilies across different agro-ecological zones. Bragantia 83, e20230181.
Aslam, M.N., Mukhtar, T., Ashfaq, M., Hussain, M.A., 2017b. Evaluation of chili germplasm for resistance to bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum. Australasian Plant Pathology 46(3), 289-292.
Aslam, M.N., Mukhtar, T., Hussain, M.A., Raheel, M., 2017a. Assessment of resistance to bacterial wilt incited by Ralstonia solanacearum in tomato germplasm. Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection 124(6), 585-590.
Aslam, M.N., Mukhtar, T., Jamil, M., Nafees, M., 2019. Analysis of aubergine germplasm for resistance sources to bacterial wilt incited by Ralstonia solanacearum. Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Sciences 56(1), 119-122.
Atiq, M., Fatima, K., Rajput, N.A., Sahi, S.T., Hameed, A., Usman, M., Ahmad, U., Sultan, A., Iqbal, A., Nawaz, A., 2023. Estimation of biocidal potential of desert phytopowders for the management of citrus canker. Sains Malaysiana 52(3), 757-770.
Bashir, A., Ahmed, R., Mehmood, B., Younas, M.T., Rehman, H.M., Hussain, S., 2020. Efficiency of selected botanicals against (Alternaria solani) causing early blight disease on tomato in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan Journal of Phytopathology 32(2), 13-25.
Begum, N., Haque, M., Mukhtar, T., Naqvi, S., Wang, J., 2012. Status of bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum in Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Phytopathology 24, 11-20.
Bergougnoux, V., 2014. The history of tomato: from domestication to biopharming. Biotechnology Advances 32(5), 170-189.
Braun, P.G., Hildebrand, P.D., 2013. Effect of sugar alcohols, antioxidants and activators of systemically acquired resistance on severity of bacterial angular leaf spot (Xanthomonas fragariae) of strawberry in controlled environment conditions. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology 35(1), 20-26.
Chen, K., Khan, R.A.A., Cao, W., Ling, M., 2020. Sustainable and ecofriendly approach of managing soil-born bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith) using dried powder of Conyza canadensis. Pathogens 9, 327.
Coelho, M., Pereira, R., Rodrigues, A.S., Teixeira, J.A., Pintado, M.E., 2019. Extraction of tomato by-products’ bioactive compounds using ohmic technology. Food and Bioproducts Processing 117(7), 329-339.
FAOSTAT, 2019. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/
FAOSTAT, 2021. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/
Gebhardt, C., 2016. The historical role of species from the Solanaceae plant family in genetic research. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 129(4), 2281-2294.
Ghaffar, A., Atiq, M., Rajput, N.A., Fatima, T., Kachelo, G.A., Ali, S., Jabbar, A., Kashif, M., Mahmood, K., Batool, A., Din, W.U., 2022. Chemotherapeutic management of Ralstonia solanacearum causing bacterial wilt of tomato. Agricultural Sciences Journal 4(2), 43-55.
Hadavi, E., Ghazijahani, N., 2022. Simple organic acids as plant biostimulants. Springer 10(2), 71-105.
Haq, M.E., Shahbaz, M.U., Kamran, M., Matloob, M.J., Abrar, W., Ali, S., Rashid, A., Iqbal, M.A., 2021. Relative potential of different plant extracts and antibiotics against Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. mangiferaeindicae causing bacterial leaf spot of mango in lab conditions. Pakistan Journal of Phytopathology 33(2), 395-399.
Hasegawa, T., Araki, T., Okabe, A., Kato, Y., Ooshiro, A., Miyazaki, S., Kawaide, H., Natsume, M., 2023. Contribution of ethyl β-d-glucoside, amino acids, and organic acids in tomato root exudates to the chemotaxis of Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum. Journal of General Plant Pathology 89(2), 91-99.
Ji, P., Momol, M.T., Olson, S.M., Pradhanang, P.M., Jones, J.B., 2005. Evaluation of thymol as biofumigant for control of bacterial wilt of tomato under field conditions. Plant Disease 89(5), 497-500.
Marti, R., Roselló, S., Cebolla-Cornejo, J., 2016. Tomato as a source of carotenoids and polyphenols targeted to cancer prevention. Cancers 8, 58.
Morgunov, I.G., Kamzolova, S.V., Dedyukhina, E.G., Chistyakova, T.I., Lunina, J.N., Mironov, A.A., Stepanova, N.N., Shemshura, O.N., Vainshtein, M.B., 2017. Application of organic acids for plant protection against phytopathogens. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 101(7), 921-932.
Mousavi, S., Bereswill, S., Heimesaat, M.M., 2019. Immunomodulatory and antimicrobial effects of vitamin C. European Journal of Microbiology and Immunology 9(3), 73-79.
Oussou, G.F., Sikirou, R., Afoha, S.A., Dossoumou, M.E., Boukari, S.A., Komlan, F.A., Zocli, B., 2020. Resistance assessment of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and Gboma (Solanum macrocarpon L.) cultivars against bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum in Benin. Pakistan Journal of Phytopathology 32, 241-249.
Özdemir, Z., 2009. Growth inhibition of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis and Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato by olive mill wastewaters and citric acid. Journal of Plant Pathology 12, 221-224.
Patrignani, F., Siroli, L., Serrazanetti, D.I., Gardini, F., Lanciotti, R., 2015. Innovative strategies based on the use of essential oils and their components to improve safety, shelf-life and quality of minimally processed fruits and vegetables. Trends in Food Science and Technology 46(2), 311-319.
Planas-Marquès, M., Bernardo-Faura, M., Paulus, J., Kaschani, F., Kaiser, M., Valls, M., Van Der Hoorn, R.A., Coll, N.S., 2018. Protease activities triggered by Ralstonia solanacearum infection in susceptible and tolerant tomato lines. Molecular and Cellular Proteomics 17(6), 1112-1125.
Rani, L., Thapa, K., Kanojia, N., Sharma, N., Singh, S., Grewal, A.S., Srivastav, A.L., Kaushal, J., 2021. An extensive review on the consequences of chemical pesticides on human health and environment. Journal of Cleaner Production 283(9), 124657.
Ranjan, R., Jha, P., Rai, B., Kumari, R., Kumar, S., 2021. Management of bacterial wilt of potato and tomato caused by Ralstonia solanacearum through resistance inducer chemicals. The Pharma Innovation Journal 10, 01-06.
Shahbaz, M.U., Mukhtar, T., Haque, M.I., Begum, N., 2015. Biochemical and serological characterization of Ralstonia solanacearum associated with chili seeds from Pakistan. International Journal of Agriculture and Biology 17(1), 31-40.
Shahidi, S., Yahyavi, M., Zare, D., 2014. Influence of dietary organic acids supplementation on reproductive performance of freshwater Angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare). Global Veterinaria 13(3), 373-377.
Sharif, A., Khan, M.A., Atiq, M., Rajput, N.A., Fatima, K., Arif, E., Qayyum, A., Tariq, H., 2021. Prevalence, epidemiology and management of canker disease caused by Xanthomonas citri pv. citri in Sargodha district of Pakistan. Journal of Pure and Applied Agriculture 6(3), 12-14.
Sharma, D., Singh, Y., 2019. Characterization of Ralstonia solanacearum isolates using biochemical, cultural, molecular methods and pathogenicity tests. Journal of Pharmacognosy Phytochemistry 8, 2884-2889.
Steel, R.G.D., Torrie, J.H., Dickey, D.A., 1997. Principles and Procedures of Statistics: A Biometrical Approach, 3rd Ed. McGraw-Hill, United States of America.
Vallarino, J.G., Osorio, S., 2019. Organic acids. Postharvest Physiology and Biochemistry of Fruits and Vegetables. Elsevier 10(8), 207-224.
Wu, T., Chen, Y., Zhang, W., Pu, Z., Li, J., Xu, Y., Jin, W., 2025. Identification, biological characterization of Cladobotryum mycophilum and its control during the fruiting process of Lyophyllum decastes. Archives of Microbiology 207(2), 1-11.
Yaseen, I., Mukhtar, T., Mubarik, A., Arshad, B., Sahu, N., Somaddar, U., 2025. Management of Ralstonia solanacearum–Meloidogyne incognita complex with Trichoderma harzianum in tomato. Bragantia 84, e20240060.
Zhang, H., HuangFu, H., Wang, X., Zhao, S., Liu, Y., Lv, H., Qin, G., Tan, Z., 2021. Antibacterial activity of lactic acid producing Leuconostoc mesenteroides QZ1178 against pathogenic Gallibacterium anatis. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 8, 630294.
Zhang, Y., Li, G., Li, Q., He, L., Zhang, Y., Wang, Y., He, H., 2020. Identification and characterization of virulence-attenuated mutants in Ralstonia solanacearum as potential biocontrol agents against bacterial wilt of Pogostemon cablin. Microbial Pathogenesis 147(3), 104418.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33804/pp.009.02.5666
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.