The bacterial antagonists Pseudomonas fluorescens A506, Pantoea agglomerans C9-1, and Pantoea agglomerans E325 and preparations of Bacillus subtilis QST 713 containing bacterial endospores and lipopeptide metabolites were evaluated for efficacy in controlling fire blight in Michigan, New York, and Virginia. When examined individually, the biological control materials were not consistently effective in reducing blossom infection. The average reduction in blossom infection observed in experiments conducted between 2001 and 2007 was variable and ranged from 9.1 to 36.1%, while control with streptomycin was consistent and ranged from 59.0 to 67.3%. Incidence of blossom colonization by the bacterial antagonists was inconsistent, and <60% of stigmata had the antagonists present in 12 of 25 experiments. Consistent control of blossom infection was observed when the biological control materials were integrated into programs with streptomycin, resulting in a reduction of the number of streptomycin applications needed to yield similar levels of control. Our results indicate that the prospects for biological control of fire blight in the eastern United States are currently not high due to the variability in efficacy of existing biological control options.

Symptomless greenhouse tomato transplants may harbor high populations of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis, the causal agent of bacterial canker, leading to yield loss in the field. The objective of this study was to determine whether resistant cultivars, acibenzolar-S-methyl, avirulent strains of C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis, or standard bactericides reduce pathogen populations and spread among greenhouse tomato seedlings. All treatments limited pathogen populations compared with the untreated inoculated susceptible cultivar in 1996 and 1998, but not in 1997. In 1996, copper hydroxide alone or mixed with mancozeb or streptomycin limited pathogen populations relative to acibenzolar-S-methyl, acibenzolar-S-methyl mixed with copper hydroxide, and avirulent strains. Copper hydroxide mixed with streptomycin limited pathogen populations compared with copper hydroxide mixed with mancozeb. Adding copper hydroxide to acibenzolar-S-methyl limited pathogen populations compared with acibenzolar-S-methyl alone. In 1998, treatments did not differ significantly from each other in limiting pathogen populations. The treatments limited spread of the bacterium only in 1997. Copper hydroxide mixed with mancozeb limited spread compared with copper hydroxide mixed with streptomycin. Pathogen spread was also reduced among resistant cultivars compared with the susceptible cultivar treated with streptomycin. In the field, the untreated inoculated susceptible cultivar produced yields that were 61% (1996) and 93% (1997) of those produced by the uninoculated susceptible cultivar. Fruit spotting occurred regardless of treatment. To prevent severe bacterial canker disease in the field, growers should initiate and sustain bactericide applications to tomato transplants while in the greenhouse to suppress pathogen populations. Cultivar resistance and acibenzolar-S-methyl may be helpful in disease management of bacterial canker on tomato.