Sensibility of Xanthomonas vasicola pv. vasculorum to chemicals and efficiency of the chemical control of bacterial leaf streak on corn plants

ABSTRACT. Bacterial leaf streak caused by Xanthomonas vasicola pv. vasculorum is an emerging disease for corn production around the world. However, information on management of this disease is still limited. This study aimed to determine the in vitro sensibility of X. vasicola pv. vasculorum to different chemicals and to evaluate the control of bacterial leaf streak on corn under greenhouse conditions. In vitro tests were carried out with kasugamycin, copper sulfate, copper oxychloride, copper hydroxide, cuprous oxide, bioactive copper, mancozeb, chlorothalonil, methyl thiophanate, and tebuconazole at the dosages of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 400 μg mL−1. Four strains of X. vasicola pv. vasculorum were included in the study. The minimal inhibitory concentration for kasugamycin ranged from 50 to 200 μg mL-1, whereas to the inorganic copper compounds varied from 5 to 50 μg mL-1 and to the bioactive copper was 100 μg mL-1. Further, mancozeb and tebuconazole inhibited the bacterial growth at the dosage ranging from 5 to 20 μg mL-1 and 50 to 400 μg mL-1, respectively, depending on the X. vasicola pv. vasculorum strain. Chlorothalonil and methyl thiophanate did not inhibit the growth of the bacterium at any tested concentration. The control of bacterial leaf streak under greenhouse conditions was investigated on corn plants of the cultivar IPR 164 at the V3 phenological vegetative stage, sprayed with kasugamycin (3 mL L-1), copper oxychloride (1.5 mL L-1), bioactive copper (1 mL L-1), mancozeb (2 g L-1), tebuconazole (1 mL L-1), and chlorothalonil (2 mL L-1). The corn plants were inoculated with a 108 CFU mL-1 suspension of the RL1 strain of X. vasicola pv. vasculorum. Only copper oxychloride significantly reduced disease severity. However, this copper compound caused phytotoxicity to the corn plants at the tested concentration.