Graham, J. H., and Myers, M. E. 2011. Soil application of SAR inducers imidacioprid, thiamethoxam, and acibenzolar-S-methyl for citrus canker control in young grapefruit trees. Plant Dis. 95:725-728.Soil applications of inducers of systemic acquired resistance (SAR) imidacioprid, thiamethoxam, or acibenzolar-5-methyl, at various rates and application frequencies, were evaluated for control of citrus canker caused by Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri in a field trial of 3-and 4year-old 'Ray Ruby" grapefruit trees in southeastern Florida. Reduction of foliar incidence of canker produced by one, two, or four soil applications of imidacioprid, thiamethoxam, and acibenzolar-5-methyl was compared with 11 foliar sprays of copper hydroxide and streptomycin applied at 21-day intervals. In the 2008 and 2009 crop seasons, canker incidence on each set of vegetative flushes was assessed as the percentage of the total leaves with lesions. By the end of the 2008 season, despite above-average rainfall and a tropical storm event, all treatments significantly reduced foliar incidence of citrus canker on the combined spring-summer-fall flushes. Sprays of copper hydroxide and streptomycin were effective for reducing canker incidence on shoot flushes produced throughout the season compared with the untreated control, whereas soil-applied SAR inducers reduced foliar disease depending on rate, frequency, and timing of application. Except for the treatment of four applications of acibenzolar-S-methyl at 0.2 g a.i. per tree or two applications of imidacioprid, SAR inducers were ineffective for reducing foliar disease on the flushes that were present during the tropical storm. In 2009, all treatments significantly reduced the incidence of foliar canker on the combined spring-summer-fall flushes but not all treatments of spring-summer flushes with SAR inducers were effective compared with the untreated control. Hence, depending on rate, frequency, and timing of application, soil-applied SAR inducers reduced incidence of canker on foliar flushes of young grapefruit trees under epidemic conditions.

Antimicrobial activity of experimental formulations of two structurally different nano-zinc oxide materials, plate-like Zinkicide SG4 and particulate Zinkicide SG6, was evaluated against Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri, the cause of citrus canker. In vitro assay demonstrated Zinkicide SG4 had a twofold lower minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against Escherichia coli and X. alfalfae subsp. citrumelonis (62.5 to 250 µg/ml) compared with copper sulfate (250 µg/ml), copper hydroxide (250 to 500 µg/ml), or cuprous oxide/zinc oxide (125 to 250 µg/ml). Zinkicide SG6 had a sevenfold to eightfold lower MIC against Escherichia coli and X. alfalfae subsp. citrumelonis (31 to 250 μg/ml). Leaves of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) and fruit of ‘Ruby Red’ grapefruit (C. paradisi) were evaluated for citrus canker disease control. A greenhouse assay with foliage demonstrated that spray treatment with Zinkicide reduced citrus canker lesion development after injection-infiltration of X. citri subsp. citri into the leaf intercellular space. In field trials conducted in Southeast Florida in 2014 and 2015, Zinkicide SG4 and SG6 reduction of grapefruit canker incidence exceeded that of cuprous oxide and cuprous oxide/zinc oxide bactericides. Zinkicide formulations were also effective against the fungal diseases, citrus scab (Elsinoe fawcetti) and melanose (Diaporthe citri), on grapefruit. No sign of phytotoxicity to the fruit rind was observed during either season. Antimicrobial activity of Zinkicide for protection of leaves and fruit against X. citri subsp. citri was comparable or exceeded that for commercial copper and zinc oxide formulations which may be attributed to translaminar movement of Zinkicide.

Streptomycin has been tested as an alternative to copper bactericides, which are routinely used for the control of citrus canker (Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri, Xcc) in citrus producing areas where the disease is endemic. A major concern is that excessive use of copper as a bactericide may lead to development of copperresistant strains of Xcc. In this study, we developed a semi-selective medium to recover copper or streptomycin-resistant strains of Xcc from citrus leaves. The newly developed semi-selective medium was used to monitor the effect of a 21-day-interval copper or streptomycin spray program on Xcc for three consecutive seasons and on citrus epiphytic bacterial populations for two seasons in a commercial grapefruit grove. Although, no copper-or streptomycin-resistant strains of Xcc were isolated after three seasons, we observed a significant increase over time in the frequency of citrus epiphytic bacteria resistant to these chemicals. Overall, the proportion of epiphytic bacteria resistant to streptomycin on treated and untreated leaves was proportionally lower than the copper-resistant bacterial population. When application of each bactericide was suspended for the season, the proportion of bactericide-resistant bacteria in the epiphytic population decreased to that of the non-treated bacterial population. Availability of an alternative bactericide, such as streptomycin, to integrate into a copperbased program would reduce the amount of each bactericide sprayed in citrus orchards and possibly lower the selection pressure for bacterial resistance to these chemicals.