Fire Blight Control: The Struggle Goes On. A Comparison of Different Fire Blight Control Methods in Switzerland with Respect to Biosafety, Efficacy and Durability
- PMID: 26378562
- PMCID: PMC4586684
- DOI: 10.3390/ijerph120911422
Fire Blight Control: The Struggle Goes On. A Comparison of Different Fire Blight Control Methods in Switzerland with Respect to Biosafety, Efficacy and Durability
Abstract
Fire blight (FB), caused by Erwinia amylovora, is one of the most important pome fruit pathogens worldwide. To control this devastating disease, various chemical and biological treatments are commonly applied in Switzerland, but they fail to keep the infection at an acceptable level in years of heavy disease pressure. The Swiss authorities therefore currently allow the controlled use of the antibiotic streptomycin against FB in years that are predicted to have heavy infection periods, but only one treatment per season is permitted. Another strategy for controlling Erwinia is to breed resistant/tolerant apple cultivars. One way of accelerating the breeding process is to obtain resistant cultivars by inserting one or several major resistance genes, using genetic engineering. To date, no study summarizing the impact of different FB control measures on the environment and on human health has been performed. This study consequently aims to compare different disease-control measures (biological control, chemical control, control by antibiotics and by resistant/tolerant apple cultivars obtained through conventional or molecular breeding) applied against E. amylovora, considering different protection goals (protection of human health, environment, agricultural diversity and economic interest), with special emphasis on biosafety aspects. Information on each FB control measure in relation to the specified protection goal was assessed by literature searches and by interviews with experts. Based on our results it can be concluded that the FB control measures currently applied in Switzerland are safe for consumers, workers and the environment. However, there are several gaps in our knowledge of the human health and environmental impacts analyzed: data are missing (1) on long term studies on the efficacy of most of the analyzed FB control measures; (2) on the safety of operators handling streptomycin; (3) on residue analyses of Equisetum plant extract, the copper and aluminum compounds used in apple production; and (4) on the effect of biological and chemical control measures on non-target fauna and flora. These gaps urgently need to be addressed in the near future.
Keywords: Erwinia amylovora; biosafety; breeding; disease control; genetic engineering; pesticides.
Similar articles
-
Assessing and Minimizing the Development and Spread of Fire Blight Following Mechanical Thinning and Pruning in Apple Orchards.Plant Dis. 2021 Mar;105(3):650-659. doi: 10.1094/PDIS-06-20-1324-RE. Epub 2021 Feb 8. Plant Dis. 2021. PMID: 32804041
-
Generation of advanced fire blight-resistant apple (Malus × domestica) selections of the fifth generation within 7 years of applying the early flowering approach.Planta. 2018 Jun;247(6):1475-1488. doi: 10.1007/s00425-018-2876-z. Epub 2018 Mar 14. Planta. 2018. PMID: 29541881 Free PMC article.
-
Erwinia amylovora pyrC mutant causes fire blight despite pyrimidine auxotrophy.Lett Appl Microbiol. 2015 Jun;60(6):572-9. doi: 10.1111/lam.12417. Epub 2015 Apr 16. Lett Appl Microbiol. 2015. PMID: 25789570
-
Advancements in Bacteriophages for the Fire Blight Pathogen Erwinia amylovora.Viruses. 2024 Oct 16;16(10):1619. doi: 10.3390/v16101619. Viruses. 2024. PMID: 39459951 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Current Situation of Fire Blight in China.Phytopathology. 2023 Dec;113(12):2143-2151. doi: 10.1094/PHYTO-05-23-0170-RVW. Epub 2023 Dec 26. Phytopathology. 2023. PMID: 37505073 Review.
Cited by
-
Differential gene regulatory pathways and co-expression networks associated with fire blight infection in apple (Malus × domestica).Hortic Res. 2019 Apr 6;6:35. doi: 10.1038/s41438-019-0120-z. eCollection 2019. Hortic Res. 2019. PMID: 30962933 Free PMC article.
-
First European Erwinia amylovora Lytic Bacteriophage Cocktails Effective in the Host: Characterization and Prospects for Fire Blight Biocontrol.Biology (Basel). 2024 Mar 8;13(3):176. doi: 10.3390/biology13030176. Biology (Basel). 2024. PMID: 38534446 Free PMC article.
-
Inhibition of Erwinia amylovora by Bacillus nakamurai.Curr Microbiol. 2020 May;77(5):875-881. doi: 10.1007/s00284-019-01845-y. Epub 2020 Jan 14. Curr Microbiol. 2020. PMID: 31938805
-
An app for apples: Citizen-led mapping of fire blight in Central Asia.J Plant Pathol. 2024;106(3):967-970. doi: 10.1007/s42161-023-01406-0. Epub 2023 May 30. J Plant Pathol. 2024. PMID: 39359492 Free PMC article.
-
Upper-limit agricultural dietary exposure to streptomycin in the laboratory reduces learning and foraging in bumblebees.Proc Biol Sci. 2022 Feb 9;289(1968):20212514. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2514. Epub 2022 Feb 9. Proc Biol Sci. 2022. PMID: 35135346 Free PMC article.
References
-
- Pegg K., Coates L., Cooke T., Forsberg L., Manners A. Fire blight: A Biosecurity Threat to the Australian Nursery Industry. [(accessed on 20 August 2013)]. Available online: http://www.ngia.com.au/Category?Action=View&Category_id=682&Highlight=fi....
-
- Végh A., Palkovics L. First occurence of fire blight on apricot ( Prunus armeniaca ) in Hungary. Not. Bot. Horti Agrobot. Cluj-Napoca. 2013;41:440–443.
-
- Swiss Federal Office for the Environment Zusammenstellung der Arten der Roten Liste der Farne und Blütenpflanzen. [(accessed on 20 August 2013)]. Available online: http://www.bafu.admin.ch/pflanzen-pilze/07938/07940/index.html?lang=de.
-
- Hasler T., Vogelsanger J., Schärer H.-J. Feuerbrand: Infektionsrisiko verschiedener Wirtspflanzen. Schweiz. Z. Obst- Weinbau. 1998;7:188–190.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources