• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.79-81
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• 2023

During the nationwide survey of fire blight, the typical shoot blight symptoms were found on Korean mountain ash (Sorbus alnifolia) which was located near an orchard that produced fire blight on pear trees in Eumseong, Korea, May 2021. To identify the causal agent, we progressed isolation from the symptomatic leaves and shoots. Two white and mucoid colonies were isolated into the pure culture. Two isolates were identified as Erwinia amylovora according to the colony-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with amsB primers and the phylogenetic tree using 16S rRNA sequences. To test of pathogenicity of two isolates, we inoculated immature pear fruits and understock of apple. We observed necrosis and oozes on immature pear fruits and shoot blight resulting in necrosis on apple shoots six days after inoculation. Colonies were recovered from the inoculated pears and apples, and identity was confirmed through colony PCR for amsB genes. To our knowledge, E. amylovora was first reported on Korean mountain ash native to South Korea.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.375-380
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• 2006

In the survey from 1992 to 2000, twenty-eight parasitic diseases were observed in major apple producing areas in Korea. The predominant apple diseases were white rot(Botryosphaeria dothidea), Marssonina blotch(Marssonina mali), Valsa canker(Valsa ceratosperma), Alternaria leaf spot(Alternaria mali), and bitter rot(Collectotrichum gloeosporioides and C. acutatum). Apple scab that reappeared in 1990 after disappearance for 15 years was disappeared again since 1997. A viroid disease(caused by apple scar skin viroid) was newly found in this survey. The five diseases, fire blight(Erwinia amylovora), black rot(Botryosphaeria obtusa), scab(Cladosporium carpophilum), Monochaetia twig blight(Monochaetia sp.), and brown leaf spot(Hendersonia mali), which had once described in 1928 but no further reports on their occurrence, were not found in this survey. However, blossom blight(Monilinia mali), brown rot(Monilinia fructigena), and pink rot(Trichothecium roseum), which did not occur on apple after mid 1970s, were found in this survey.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.316-320
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• 2023

Recently, the domestic plant disease control policy for fire blight has been implemented partial control in addition to burial control. In this study, an on-site management survey was conducted targeting orchards that implemented partial disease control from 2019 to 2020 in order to find efficient implementation methods for partial disease control. As a result of an investigation into 22 pear and apple orchards in Cheonan and Chungju, 7 orchards were buried. The upper part of the cut infected plants was burned at 16 orchards and covered with plastic vinyl after lime treatment at 6 orchards. The lower stumps of cut infected plants were burned at 7 orchards and covered with plastic vinyl after lime treatment at 15 orchards. There were two orchards where suckers appeared on the stumps even though covers were applied. There was no infection by Erwinia amylovora in the suckers. The conservation condition of lime treatment was good, but warning signs were absent at 6 orchards. Most orchards treated the stumps and surrounding areas with glyphosate-isopropylamine herbicide. The effect of partial control was judged to be safe.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.63-69
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• 2010

The effect of Acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM) and Rahnella aquatilis Ra39 against apple fire blight disease caused by Erwinia amylovora were tested as a possible alternative to streptomycin. In vitro studies, no inhibition effect against the pathogen was found when ASM was tested. Under greenhouse conditions, application of R. aquatilis Ra39 with the highly susceptible M26 rootstock resulted in a marked disease suppression. Application of ASM and strain Ra39 caused a high decrease of the disease, 82% and 58% respectively; this was correlated with a reduction of the growth of the pathogen within host plants up to 64% and 49.5% respectively. Further studies in the field under artificial infection condition during full bloom revealed that application of ASM and R. aquatilis Ra39 with Gala variety resulted in a control effect up to 21 and 29% respectively. In physiological studies, enhanced activities of PR-proteins (chitinase and $\beta$-1, 3-glucanase) were detected, which are well known as biochemical markers for systemic acquired resistance. Application of ASM to apple shoots caused the highest chitinase activity followed by strain Ra39. The enzyme activity was increased after 2, 4 and 6 days from application. In addition, ASM-treatment caused the higher $\beta$-1, 3-glucanase activity than strain Ra39. Maximum enzyme activity was recorded after 6 days from application and then decreased after 8 and 10 days from application.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.176-182
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• 2010

Occurrence of plant diseases is dependent on various factors in the agricultural system. Due to recent extensive environmental climate changes, i.e. global warming, agricultural systems such as planting dates and cultivars are being affected. Gradual transition in disease occurrence and incidence in the agricultural fields can also be affected by direct and/or indirect environmental changes. In this study, we evaluated disease occurrence and incidence in soybean plants to investigate whether it could be related with cultivars, planting dates and geographical differences in Korea in 2008. Soybean cultivars including 'Taekwang', 'Pungsan', 'Cheongja 3', 'Saeol', and 'Dawon' were planted in four different dates, May 15, June 1, June 15, and June 30, in two locations, Suwon, and Naju. Soybean diseases such as wild fire and bacterial pustule were mainly found depending on cultivars, planting dates, and areas. Wild fire occurred severely on cv. 'Taekwang' while bacterial blight did on cv. 'Dawon' among tested cultivars. Disease developments of wild fire and bacterial blight generally decreased in delayed planting regardless of cultivars.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.77-82
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• 2001

Erwinia amylovora causes a devastating disease called fire blight in rosaceous trees and shrubs such as apple, pear, and raspberry. To successfully infect its hosts, the pathogen requires a set of clustered genes termed hrp. Studies on the hrp system of E. amylovora indicated that it consists of three functional classes of genes. Regulation genes including hrpS, hrpS, hrpXY, and hrpL produce proteins that control the expression of other genes in the cluster. Secretion genes, many of which named hrc, encode proteins that may form a transmembrane complex, which is devoted to type III protein secretion. Finally, several genes encode the proteins that are delivered by the protein secretion apparatus. They include harpins, DspE, and other potential effector proteins that may contribute to proliferation of E. amylovora inside the hosts. Harpins are glycine-rich heat-stable elicitors of the hypersensitive response, and induce systemic acquired resistance. The pathogenicity protein DseE is homologous and functionally similar to an avirulence protein of Pseudomonas syringae. The region encompassing the hrpldsp gene cluster of E. amylovora shows features characteristic of a genomic island : a cryptic recombinase/integrase gene and a tRNA gene are present at one end and genes corresponding to those of the Escherichia coli K-12 chromosome are found beyond the region. This island, designated the Hrp pathogenicity island, is more than 60 kilobases in size and carries as many as 60 genes.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.199-205
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• 2024

Erwinia amylovora, a causal pathogen of fire blight, has been continuously inducing damage to the apple and pear trees in South Korea since 2015. Farmers apply antibiotics during blooming season to prevent the fire blight. However, continuous use of antibiotics can induce the emergence of resistant bacteria, which consequently reduces control efficacy. In this study, we assessed the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of streptomycin, using a total of 361 E. amylovora isolates that were collected from the six provinces of South Korea from 2019 to 2023. As a result, the MIC of streptomycin ranged from 0.5 to 4 ㎍/ml and the strA-strB genes were not identified from the isolates. The MIC was higher in the isolates from Gyeonggi-do, Gangwondo, and Chungcheongbuk-do compared to those from other three provinces. These results may bring broad attention to the use of streptomycin and aid in developing a management protocol for the occurrence of fire blight in South Korea.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.208-217
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• 2023

Accurate estimation of dormancy breaking and first bloom dates is crucial for effective fire blight control by disease model such as Maryblyt in apple orchards. The duration from dormancy breaking to first bloom in apple trees was influenced by daily minimum temperatures during the dormant period. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between minimum temperatures during this period and the time taken for flowering to commence. Webcam data from eight apple orchards, equipped by the National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science, were observed from 2019 to 2023 to determine the dates of starting bloom (B1). Additionally, the dormancy breaking dates for these eight sites were estimated using an apple chill day model, with a value of -100.5 DD, based on collected weather data. Two regressions were performed to analyze the relationships: the first regression between the number of days under 0℃ (X₁) and the time from calculated dormancy breaking to observed first bloom (Y), resulting in Y = 0.87 × X₁ + 40.76 with R² = 0.84. The second regression examined the starting date of breaking dormancy (X₂) and the duration from dormancy breaking to observed first bloom (Y), resulting in Y = -1.07 × X₂ + 143.62 with R² = 0.92. These findings suggest that apple anti-chill days are significantly affected by minimum temperatures during the period from dormancy breaking to flowering, indicating their importance in fire blight control measures.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.482-489
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• 2022

Fire blight caused by Erwinia amylovora (Ea) is a devastating disease in apple and pear trees. Oxolinic acid (OA), a quinolone family antibiotic that inhibits DNA gyrase, has been employed to control fire blight in South Korea since 2015. The continuous use of this bactericide has resulted in the emergence of OA-resistant strains in bacterial pathogens in other countries. To investigate the occurrence of OA-resistant Ea strains in South Korea, we collected a total of 516 Ea isolates from diseased apple and pear trees in 2020-2021 and assessed their sensitivities to OA. We found that all isolates were susceptible to OA. To explore the possibility of emerging OA-resistant Ea by continuous application of OA, we exposed Ea stains to a range of OA concentrations and constructed OA-resistant mutant strains. Resistance was associated with mutations in the GyrA at codons 81 and 83, which result in glycine to cysteine and serine to arginine amino acid substitutions, respectively. The in vitro growth of the mutants in nutrient media and their virulence in immature apple fruits were lower than those of wild-type. Our results suggest that OA-resistance decreases the fitness of Ea. Future work should clarify the mechanisms by which OA-resistance decreases virulence of this plant pathogen. Continuous monitoring of OA-resistance in Ea is required to maintain the efficacy of this potent bactericide.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.1141-1148
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• 2023

Herein, we explored the potential of the apple's core microbiota for biological control of Erwinia amylovora, which causes fire blight disease, and analyzed the structure of the apple's bacterial community across different tissues and seasons. Network analysis results showed distinct differences in bacterial community composition between the endosphere and rhizosphere of healthy apples, and eight taxa were identified as negatively correlated with E. amylovora, indicating their potential key role in a new control strategy against the pathogen. This study highlights the critical role of the apple's bacterial community in disease control and provides a new direction for future research in apple production. In addition, the findings suggest that using the composition of the apple's core taxa as a biological control strategy could be an effective alternative to traditional chemical control methods, which have been proven futile and environmentally harmful.